Social inequalities and realisation of opportunistic screening mammographies in Barcelona (Spain).

Population screening, organised trough programmes with defined target groups who are regularly called in, and opportunistic screening where the woman or the doctor, on their own initiative request the test, are the main methods for carrying out of periodic mammographies. In Spain, except for recent established and geographically limited population based breast cancer screening programmes, most mammographies, aimed at early detection of breast cancer, are performed on an opportunistic basis in public and private health centres. The objective of this study was to evaluate social inequalities in the use of opportunistic screening of breast cancer through periodic mammography, in the general population of women over 29 years of age during 1992, after taking into account sociodemographic factors.