Background/Aim. Innovative marketing campaigns and promotional activities can
successfully contribute to the improvement of public health by raising the
level of general knowledge about health issues and benefits that the change
of habits, eradication of undesirable behaviour and regular medical controls
have. The focus should be on continuous marketing communication through
various mass media or direct communication between medical staff and
patients. The aim of this paper was to define the role that various
communication channels have in the process of informing and educating the
target group in case of breast and cervical cancer prevention. Methods. The
survey based on polling a sample of 2,100 female patients of the Serbian
Railways Medical Centre was conducted in the period October-December 2013.
The questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics,
prevention habits of women, their level of information on that topic and
communication channels they prefer. Results. There is a difference among
respondents? awareness level about preventive measures depending on
demographic and geographical criteria. The results indicate the existence of
variations in frequency of performing gynaecological examinations and Pap
tests depending on different age, educational and residential groups.
Although the largest percentage of women stated familiarity with the way of
performing breast self-examination (78%), the majority of them had never
per-formed mammography or ultrasonography (67%). The greatest number of women
were informed about the possibility of preventing breast and cervical cancer
by posters or brochures in health institutions (71%) and mass media -
television on the first place (74%), then specialized magazines about health
(48%), radio (48%), web sites about health (42%), and daily newspapers (34%).
The respondents consider the Ministry of Health and health institutions as
the most responsible subjects for education of women about cancer prevention,
while the self-initiative was given the least importance. Conclusion.
Determined informing habits of the target group, their prevention habits and
attitudes on the subject should be used as the basis for planning and
implementation of prevention marketing campaigns that would be the most
effective.
Role of Race/Ethnicity, Language, and Insurance in Use of Cervical Cancer Prevention Services Among Low-Income Hispanic Women, 2009–2013