Barriers to cancer screening among women aged 40 years and older
1
Health policies and standards department, Dubai health authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Barriers to cancer screening among women aged 40 years and older Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of premature mortality globally, with cancer posing a growing public health challenge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) [1]. Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers are amenable to early detection through organized screening; however, uptake among women aged 40 years and older remains suboptimal despite national guidelines and service availability [2–6]. Identifying population-specific and health-system barriers is essential to strengthening cancer prevention policies and advancing equitable non-communicable disease control [3,4].
METHODS:
A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 women aged 40 years and older residing in the UAE. Stratified random sampling ensured demographic representation. Data were collected using a validated bilingual questionnaire assessing screening participation and perceived individual, sociocultural, and health-system barriers [9-12]. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of screening participation.
RESULTS:
Screening participation was low across all cancer types. Guideline-adherent screening was reported by 21.1% of participants for breast cancer, 10.2% for cervical cancer, and 22.8% for colorectal cancer, while 45.9% had never undergone any cancer screening. Key barriers included lack of knowledge (23.6%), limited availability of screening services (21.6%), absence of physician recommendation (20.6%), and fear of a positive diagnosis (19.2%), consistent with regional evidence [9–15]. Physician recommendation was the strongest predictor of screening participation (odds ratio [OR] 4.1; p<0.001), followed by higher educational attainment (OR 2.4; p<0.01) and employment status (OR 1.9; p=0.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
Cancer screening uptake among women aged 40 years and older in the UAE remains insufficient to meet national and global non-communicable disease prevention targets [1,16]. Policy actions integrating physician-led screening prompts, expanding financial coverage, and strengthening culturally tailored community-based health promotion are urgently required to advance equitable cancer prevention [2–4,7,8].
Barriers to cancer screening among women aged 40 years and older Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of premature mortality globally, with cancer posing a growing public health challenge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) [1]. Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers are amenable to early detection through organized screening; however, uptake among women aged 40 years and older remains suboptimal despite national guidelines and service availability [2–6]. Identifying population-specific and health-system barriers is essential to strengthening cancer prevention policies and advancing equitable non-communicable disease control [3,4].
METHODS:
A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 women aged 40 years and older residing in the UAE. Stratified random sampling ensured demographic representation. Data were collected using a validated bilingual questionnaire assessing screening participation and perceived individual, sociocultural, and health-system barriers [9-12]. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of screening participation.
RESULTS:
Screening participation was low across all cancer types. Guideline-adherent screening was reported by 21.1% of participants for breast cancer, 10.2% for cervical cancer, and 22.8% for colorectal cancer, while 45.9% had never undergone any cancer screening. Key barriers included lack of knowledge (23.6%), limited availability of screening services (21.6%), absence of physician recommendation (20.6%), and fear of a positive diagnosis (19.2%), consistent with regional evidence [9–15]. Physician recommendation was the strongest predictor of screening participation (odds ratio [OR] 4.1; p<0.001), followed by higher educational attainment (OR 2.4; p<0.01) and employment status (OR 1.9; p=0.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
Cancer screening uptake among women aged 40 years and older in the UAE remains insufficient to meet national and global non-communicable disease prevention targets [1,16]. Policy actions integrating physician-led screening prompts, expanding financial coverage, and strengthening culturally tailored community-based health promotion are urgently required to advance equitable cancer prevention [2–4,7,8].
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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