Disparities in the Use of Regular Pap Smears among Migrant and Non-Migrant Women in Austria: A Population-Based Survey of 7633 Women

Objective: Regular pap smears are effective in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Migrant women have been reported to utilize cervical cancer screening less often than non-migrant women. However, inconsistent results, e.g. from Germany, have also been reported. This study examines disparities in the use of annual pap smears among 20–69 year old migrant and non-migrant women in neighboring Austria. Method: Data from a nationwide population-based survey of 7633 women is used of whom 504 (6.6%) were migrants from European Union countries and 251 (3.3%) were migrants from non-European Union countries. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to account for socio economic and health differences between the three population groups. Results: The study shows that as compared to the non-migrant women, migrant women from European Union and non-European Union countries were at lower odds of having received a pap smear in the last 12 months (adjusted odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.66–0.96 and adjusted odds ratio = 0.74, 95%-confidence interval = 0.57–0.97, respectively). Disparities were similar with respect to utilization in the last 36 months (adjusted odds ratio = 0.60, 95% confidence interval = 0.46–0.77 and adjusted odds ratio = 0.58, 95% confidence interval = 0.40–0.82, respectively). Conclusion: The findings are in agreement with research from the majority of other countries. They suggest barriers that migrants encounter in the health system and highlight the need for diversity-sensitive health care strategies.