Factors affecting compliance in the first year of postcolposcopy surveillance among women with a high incidence of cervical cancer

ObjectiveTo assess postcolposcopy compliance among women with abnormal cervical screening results and to identify factors associated with noncompliance for postcolposcopy follow-up.MethodsIn a retrospective study, the records of women who underwent colposcopy at Srinagarind Hospital, Thailand, between January and December 2010 were reviewed. Women were considered to be noncompliant if their total follow-up time after colposcopy was less than 12 months. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to determine factors significantly predicting noncompliance.ResultsAmong 548 women who underwent colposcopy, the percentage of noncompliance was 49.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 45.1%–53.7%). The risk for noncompliance rose significantly among those without intraepithelial lesions (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.53–3.13), younger age (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.19–2.67), and low education level (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.11–2.24). Risk for noncompliance was significantly lower among those with a previous history of abnormal smear (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24–0.64).ConclusionThe percentage of noncompliance with postcolposcopy follow-up was high among the study women. The significant independent factors predicting noncompliance were previous history of abnormal smear, severity of cervical histopathology, age, and education level.