Health literacy among women is still at low levels: despite the willing to follow recommendations, few observe them.
MOSCOW, April 21, 2016. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of the survey describing the data of the survey “Gedeon Richter Women’s Health Index* devoted to the women’s preventive care.
The results of the survey suggest that most of Russian women go though preventive examinations:
86% of women aged 18-44 visit doctors but only 29% do it every six months (frequency recommended by the doctors).
Women aged 18-24 are more serious (39%; 24% of those aged 35-44). Half of respondents (48%) visit gynecologists every year; 6% - every two years; 3% - less than once per three years.
At the same time, those women who go through checkups rarer than once per six months (57%) recognize that their behavior contradicts health recommendations: 89% of them agree that preventive care should be carried out every six months. Those women who do not follow this rule say that they feel healthy (49%). They also cite regular sex partner (39%), lack of time (38%) and failure to find a skilled specialist (21%) among other arguments that prevent them from going to doctor.
Every seventh reproductive-age woman (14%) visits doctor only when she has problems with health. Moreover, 40% of women wait a few days for the symptoms to disappear; 26% visit doctors when the situation has substantially deteriorated. Only 33% see specialists immediately.
Russian women are well informed about what uterine fibroid is: 94% heard about it (72% of those aged 18-24), but only 15% know exactly its symptoms; 49% can describe it in general; 35% know nothing about the disease.
Russian women failed to name an effective and safe treatment method. They prefer conservative treatment (medicines) – 25%; others prefer surgical handle – 29%. The remainder (51%) believe that for each case the treatment method is different.
*Gedeon Richter Women’s Health Index describes Russian women’s health situation using the data of the Russian opinion survey. The monitoring is part of “Women’s health week” social project.
The VCIOM survey was commissioned by Gedeon Richter and conducted on April 1-10, 2016. The survey was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample involving female respondents aged 18-44, interviewed via landline and cell phones. The sample size is 1200 respondents; the sample is based on the list of telephone numbers operating in Russia. The margin of error with 95% confidence interval does not exceed 2.9%.
How often do you visit gynecologist for medical examination? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 |
Every six months | 29 | 39 | 32 | 24 |
Every year | 48 | 40 | 45 | 51 |
Every two years | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
Rarer than once per three years | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
I never do it; I visit when I have health problems | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
I have never visited gynecologist | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
There is an opinion that women have to go through medical examination once per six months. Do you agree or disagree with that? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who visit doctor rarer than once per six months) | |
| Total respondents |
Rather agree | 89 |
Rather disagree | 8 |
I do not know; I have never heard about that | 3 |
Gynecologists recommend women to go through medical examination once per six months. Why do you refuse to observe this recommendation? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who visit doctor rarer than once per six months) | |
| Total respondents |
No complaints | 49 |
I have regular sex partner; no need to see the doctor | 39 |
No time | 38 |
No good, skilled doctor | 21 |
It is hard to arrange an appointment | 16 |
Expensive screens and medicines | 13 |
I am afraid that something will be found | 4 |
I am shy; I feel uncomfortable | 4 |
I did not know about this recommendation | 3 |
Other | 6 |
Don’t know | 1 |
Which of the following statements best describes your behavior when you discover the first symptoms of a disease? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who have never visited doctor for a preventive care) | |
| Total respondents |
I see doctor immediately | 33 |
I wait for a certain time for the symptoms to pass; if the symptoms persist I go to doctor | 40 |
I can wait for a long time; I see doctor only when I realize that the situation is serious | 26 |
Don’t know | 1 |
Have you ever heard about uterine fibroid? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 |
Yes, I am well aware about that | 27 | 14 | 18 | 37 |
I heard something but I do not know any details | 67 | 58 | 76 | 62 |
This is the first time I hear about that | 6 | 28 | 6 | 1 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Do you know the symptoms of the uterine fibroid? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who heard about the disease) | |
| Total respondents |
Yes, I am well aware about its symptoms | 15 |
I heard something but not in details | 49 |
I know nothing | 35 |
Don’t know | 1 |
What kind of treatment of uterine fibroid would be more effective and safe? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who heard about the disease) | |
| Total respondents |
Conservative treatment – using medicines | 25 |
Surgical handle (doctor’s decision to use hysterectomy) | 29 |
Using homeopathic medicine | 6 |
Don’t know; each case is different | 51 |
Other | 2 |
Note: Using the “Gedeon Richter Women’s health index” project materials published on the website www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.