Change in Breast Cancer Screening Participation During COVID-19 Based on the 2019 and 2022 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan

Overview

Journal JMA J

Date 2025 Feb 10

PMID 39926056

Authors

Chitose Kawamura

Masao Iwagami

Jun Komiyama

Yuta Taniguchi

Yu Sun

Rie Masuda

Takehiro Sugiyama

Hiroko Bando

Tomomi Kihara

Hiroyasu Iso

Nanako Tamiya

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The breast cancer screening rate declined worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study examined the changes in breast cancer screening participation rates in Japan before and during the pandemic and identified subgroups with a larger decline.

Methods: We used data from a 2019 survey evaluating 2017-2018 (pre-pandemic) and a 2022 survey evaluating 2020-2021 (during the pandemic) in the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions to describe the breast cancer screening rates by screening settings among women aged 40-74 years. We calculated the changes in the overall participation rate and by subgroup with and without adjustment for other variables (i.e., age, living area, educational level, and health insurance).

Results: The participation rates in breast cancer screening in 2017-2018 and 2020-2021 were 48.3% (51,428/106,446, municipality-based 18.7%, worksite-based 17.0%, and others 12.6%) and 47.1% (45,006/95,610, municipality-based 17.2%, worksite-based 17.5%, and others 12.4%), respectively. The crude difference from 2017-2018 to 2020-2021 was -1.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.7 to -0.8), and the adjusted difference was -1.7% (-2.2 to -1.4). By subgroup, the adjusted difference was the largest in the 45-49 age subgroup (-2.2% [-3.3 to -1.1]) among the age subgroups, in the town/village subgroup (-2.4% [-3.6 to -1.2]) among the living area subgroups, in the high school subgroup (-1.8% [-2.4 to -1.2]) and vocational school/junior or technical college subgroup (-1.8% [-2.6 to -1.0]) among the educational level subgroups, and in the employee insurance (dependent person) subgroup (-2.5% [-3.3 to -1.7]) among the health insurance subgroups.

Conclusions: The breast cancer screening participation rates decreased during the pandemic in Japan, with some variations by subgroup. For the screening setting, the participation rate of the municipality-based screening decreased, while that of the worksite-based screening increased.

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