Socioeconomic and cultural factors associated with pap smear screening among French women living in Réunion Island.

BACKGROUND: Réunion Island is a French overseas territory located in the southern Indian Ocean, with a challenging socioeconomic and multicultural context. Compared to mainland France, Réunion has an overincidence and overmortality of cervical cancer. In order to investigate these two issues, it is important to evaluate the barriers and potential levers to Pap smear screening among female inhabitants of the island. We aimed to identify the specific socio-demographic factors, cultural factors, and living conditions associated with Pap smear screening in Réunion, with a view to increasing uptake. METHODS: We conducted a Knowledge Attitude Behavior and Practices (KABP) survey on cervical cancer screening practices among women aged between 25 and 65 years old living in Réunion Island, selected using random digit dialing sampling. Data were collected using Computer Assistant Telephone Interviews. Weighted chi-squared tests and Student's t-tests were used to compare women who had up-to-date Pap smear screening with women who did not. Weighted logistic models were used to identify the factors associated with not having up-to-date screening. RESULTS: A total of 1000 women were included in the study. Of these, 88.1% had a Pap smear test during the previous three years. Factors independently associated with not being up to date were as follows: aged over 55 (AOR 2.3 [1.2-4.3]), no children (AOR 2.5 [1.4-4.3]), having free universal health coverage (AOR 1.7 [1.1-2.7]), an income per unit consumption lower than 1500€ per month (AOR 2.0 [1.1-3.7]), low health literacy (AOR 2.7 [1.7-4.1]), not consulting a general practitioner in the prior 12 months (AOR 3.6 [2.0-6.5]), and a BMI > 30 (AOR 2.6 [1.5-4.4]). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale survey focusing on recommended Pap smear screening uptake in Réunion Island. Although self-reported screening incidence was higher than in mainland France, national screening policies must take into account the island's diverse social and cultural characteristics (e.g., an ageing population, low health literacy), while implementing actions to fight against poverty and increase general access to healthcare.

Prevalence of long COVID in the general adult population according to different definitions and sociodemographic and infection characteristics. A nationwide random sampling survey in France in autumn 2022.

OBJECTIVES: Long COVID has been recognized since early 2020, but its definition is not unanimous, which complicates epidemiological assessments. This study estimated the prevalence of long COVID based on several definitions and severity thresholds in the adult population of mainland France and examined variations according to sociodemographic and infection characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using random sampling was conducted in August-November 2022. Participants declaring SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed for infection dates and context, post-COVID symptoms (from a list of 31, with onset time, daily functioning impact, and alternative diagnosis), and perceived long COVID. Long COVID prevalence was estimated according to the WHO, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, United States National Centre for Health Statistics, and United Kingdom Office for National Statistics definitions. RESULTS: Of 10 615 participants, 5781 (54.5%) reported SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 123-759 (1.2-13.4%) having long COVID, depending on the definition. The prevalence of WHO post-COVID condition (PCC) was 4.0% (95% CI: 3.6-4.5) in the overall population and 8.0% (95% CI: 7.0-8.9) among infected individuals. Among the latter, the prevalence varied from 5.3% (men) to 14.9% (unemployed) and 18.6% (history of hospitalization for COVID-19). WHO-PCC overlapped poorly with other definitions (kappa ranging from 0.18 to 0.59) and perceived long COVID (reported in only 43% of WHO-PCC). DISCUSSION: Regardless of its definition, long COVID remains a significant burden in the French adult population that deserves surveillance, notably for forms that strongly impact daily activities. More standardized definitions will improve integrated surveillance of, and better research on, long COVID.

Complex association between post-COVID-19 condition and anxiety and depression symptoms.

BACKGROUND: To assess the associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) by exploring the direction of these associations and their relevance in the definition of PCC. METHODS: Nationwide survey among French adults, recruited between March and April, 2022, using a quota method to capture a representative sample of the general population with regard to sex, age, socioeconomic status, size of the place of residence, and region. We included all participants who met the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of PCC in addition to a random sample of participants infected with SARS-COV-2 for at least 3 months but without PCC. Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, chronic anxiety and depression (for more than 3 years), and anxiety and depression were measured using the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 questionnaires, respectively. RESULTS: In a sample of 1,095 participants with PCC and 1,021 participants infected with SARS-COV-2 without PCC, 21% had self-reported anxiety and 18% self-reported depression, whereas 33% and 20% had current measured symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. The high prevalence of these symptoms cannot only be explained by the characterization of PCC, as only 13.4% of anxiety symptoms and 7.6% of depressive symptoms met the WHO criteria for PCC. Only one participant met the WHO criteria based on self-reported anxiety or depressive symptoms alone, as these were always combined with other symptoms in patients with PCC. Chronic symptoms were associated with PCC (aOR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.00-1.61). In addition, measured anxiety was associated with PCC (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.02-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-COVID-19 chronic anxiety and depression may play a role in the development of PCC or share vulnerability factors with it. Our results challenge the inclusion of anxiety and depression in the definition of PCC.

Analysing breast cancer survivors' acceptance profiles for using an electronic pillbox connected to a smartphone application using Seintinelles, a French community-based research tool.

Introduction: Up to 50% of breast cancer (BC) survivors discontinue their adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) before the recommended 5 years, raising the issue of medication non-adherence. eHealth technologies have the potential to support patients to enhance their medication adherence and may offer an effective way to complement the healthcare. In order for eHealth technologies to be successfully implemented into the healthcare system, end-users need to be willing and accepting to use these eHealth technologies. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the current usability of eHealth technologiesin and to identify differences in BC SURVIVORS BC survivors accepting a medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology to support their AET to BC survivors that do not accept such a medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology. Methods: This study was conducted in 2020 including volunteering BC survivors belonging to the Seintinelles Association. Eligible participants were women, diagnosed with BC within the last 10 years, and been exposed to, an AET. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology acceptance profiles among BC survivors. The dependent variable was defined as acceptance of an electronic pillbox connected to a smartphone application (hereafter: medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology). Results: Overall, 23% of the participants already use a connected device or health application on a regular basis. The mean age of the participants was 52.7 (SD 10.4) years. In total, 67% of 1268 BC survivors who participated in the survey declared that they would accept a medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology to improve their AET. BC survivors accepting a medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology for their AET, are younger (OR = 0.97, 95% CI [0.95; 0.98]), do take medication for other diseases (OR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.13; 0.68]), already use a medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology or technique (OR = 1.74, 95% CI [1.06; 2.94]) and are willing to possess or currently possess one or more connected devices or health applications (OR = 2.89, 95% CI [2.01; 4.19]). Conclusion: Understanding acceptance profiles of BC survivors is fundamental for conceiving an effective eHealth technology enhancing AET among BC survivors. Hence, such profiling will foster the development of personalized medication adherence enhancing eHealth technology.

Incidence of PTSD in the French population a month after the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown: evidence from a national longitudinal survey.

BACKGROUND: In view of experts' warnings about the potential negative mental health consequences of the sudden nationwide lockdowns implemented in many countries to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we sought to study the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic events related to this unprecedented lockdown in the French general population. METHODS: This longitudinal study among adults (aged =18) consisted of two surveys: the first during the last days of the lockdown and the second a month later. We estimated PTSD incidence with the PCL-5 and ran multiple Poisson regression models to identify factors associated with PTSD. RESULTS: Among the 1736 participants, 30.1% reported at least one traumatic event. PTSD incidence was 17.5% (95% confidence interval CI = 15.7-19.3). It was higher in participants who reported multiple traumatic events, who had high COVID-19-related media use, who had general anxiety disorder (GAD-7) during the lockdown, and who had GAD, depression (PHQ-9), or sleep problems 1 month later. In addition, 43.1% of people with PTSD reported suicidal thoughts. CONCLUSIONS: These results should help clinicians to target people who are at high risk of developing PTSD after a pandemic-related lockdown and could benefit from preventive measures. Collaboration between the media and mental health professionals could be envisioned to inform the population about care resources. Follow-up recommendations should also be disseminated to general practitioners to facilitate PTSD screening and ensure that they are aware of the appropriate management.

The effect of social deprivation on the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection in France: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Data on health inequalities related to the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection in France are scarce. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between an area-based deprivation indicator and SARS-CoV-2 incidence, positivity, and testing rates between May 2020 and April 2021. METHODS: We analysed data reported to the Système d'Information de Dépistage Populationnel surveillance system between May 14, 2020 and April 29, 2021, which records the results of all SARS-CoV-2 tests in France. Residential addresses of tested individuals were geocoded to retrieve the associated aggregated units for the statistical information (IRIS) scale, corresponding to an area comprising 2000 inhabitants relatively homogenous in terms of socioeconomic characteristics. A social deprivation score was assigned to each area using the European Deprivation Index (EDI). We fitted negative binomial generalised additive models to model the age-standardised and sex-standardised ratios for SARS-CoV-2 incidence, positivity rates, and testing rates, and to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs of their association with EDI quintiles, using the first quintile (least deprived) as the reference category, adjusted for week, population density, and region. FINDINGS: Analyses were based on 70 990 478 SARS-CoV-2 tests, of which 5 000 972 were positive. SARS-CoV-2 incidence was higher in the most deprived areas than the least deprived areas (IRR 1·148 [95% CI 1·138-1·158]) and positivity rates were also higher (IRR 1·283 [1·273-1·294]), whereas testing rates were lower in the most deprived areas than the least deprived areas (IRR 0·905 [0·904-0·907]). SARS-CoV-2 incidence and positivity rates remained higher in the most deprived areas than the least deprived areas during the second and third national lockdowns, and variation in testing rate was observed according to population density. INTERPRETATION: Our results highlight a positive social gradient between deprivation and the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, with the highest risk among individuals living in the most deprived areas and a negative social gradient for testing rate. These findings might reflect structural barriers to health-care access in France and lower capacity of deprived populations to benefit from protective measures. FUNDING: None.

Intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 among the general population in France: Associated factors and gender disparities.

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads across the world, the rapid distribution of an effective vaccine and its acceptability among the population constitute priorities for health authorities. This study aimed to document attitudes of the general population toward a future vaccine against COVID-19. We used the national COCONEL surveys conducted during the lockdown to identify factors associated with vaccine refusal, in the whole population, and separately among men and women. We investigate the role of socioeconomic and demographic factors as well as exposure to COVID-19. Among the 5,018 participants, 24.0% reported their intention to refuse the vaccine. Thinking this vaccine would not be safe, being against vaccination in general, and perceiving COVID-19 to be harmless were the three main reasons given to explain vaccine refusal. Women were more likely to refuse the vaccine, especially due to a reluctance toward vaccination in general or the perception that a COVID-19 vaccine would not be safe. Some factors associated with the intention to refuse the vaccine were the same among men and women such as a lack of prior vaccination against influenza, and concern over being infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while others differed slightly according to gender such as age, and high prevalence of COVID-19 in their region of residence. Authorities should therefore guarantee that all the necessary precautions are taken before marketing the vaccine and communicate transparently on the process of its development, and on the coverage rate required to reach herd immunity.Abbreviation: EHI: Equivalized Household Income per month; SARS-CoV-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Psychological support in general population during the COVID-19 lockdown in France: Needs and access.

INTRODUCTION: With France one of the European countries most strongly affected by COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, French authorities imposed a nationwide lockdown for 8 weeks (March 17-May 10). This study explored the perception of the adult population about the need for-and access to-psychological support from health care professionals (HCP) in response to concerns about the psychological needs during lockdown. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This online cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the adult general population of mainland France (N = 2,003) took place during the last four days of the French lockdown (May 7-10, 2020). RESULTS: One in eight respondents (12.2%) perceived a need for psychological support from an HCP during the lockdown; most had symptoms of depression and/or anxiety of at least moderate intensity. Only a third (29.8%, 3.6% of the entire sample) actually obtained this support. Factors associated with this perceived need included: age under 35, economic difficulties due to lockdown, pre-lockdown use of psychological support, infection with COVID-19, serious worries about becoming infected, and heavy media use to obtain information about the disease. Among those who perceived a need for psychological support, the elderly were the most likely not to consult an HCP. People aged 35-64, those with high income, and those seriously worried about developing COVID-19 were the most likely to forgo seeking access to care because of their fear of infection by the coronavirus-2019. CONCLUSION: The perceived need for psychological support from an HCP and access to it appeared to be strongly associated with COVID-19 exposure factor. More research about this association is needed to improve the health authorities' understanding of the population's psychological needs in this situation and to enhance HCPs' abilities to meet them. In particular, further research of its specific impact on youth is necessary.

The French public's attitudes to a future COVID-19 vaccine: The politicization of a public health issue.

As Covid-19 spreads across the world, governments turn a hopeful eye towards research and development of a vaccine against this new disease. But it is one thing to make a vaccine available, and it is quite another to convince the public to take the shot, as the precedent of the 2009 H1N1 influenza illustrated. In this paper, we present the results of four online surveys conducted in April 2020 in representative samples of the French population 18 years of age and over (N = 5018). These surveys were conducted during a period when the French population was on lockdown and the daily number of deaths attributed to the virus reached its peak. We found that if a vaccine against the new coronavirus became available, almost a quarter of respondents would not use it. We also found that attitudes to this vaccine were correlated significantly with political partisanship and engagement with the political system. Attitudes towards this future vaccine did not follow the traditional mapping of political attitudes along a Left-Right axis. The rift seems to be between people who feel close to governing parties (Centre, Left and Right) on the one hand, and, on the other, people who feel close to Far-Left and Far-Right parties as well as people who do not feel close to any party. We draw on the French sociological literature on ordinary attitudes to politics to discuss our results as well as the cultural pathways via which political beliefs can affect perceptions of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The positive effect of workplace accommodations on the continued employment of cancer survivors five years after diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To address the gap highlighted in the literature on the effect of professional interventions to facilitate continued employment, this study aims to evaluate the effect of workplace accommodations on the continued employment 5 years after a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: This study is based on VICAN5, a French survey conducted in 2015-2016 to examine the living conditions of cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis. Two subsamples, one with and one without workplace accommodations, were matched using a propensity score to control for the individual, professional, and medical characteristics potentially associated with receipt of workplace accommodations. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 1514 cancer survivors aged 18-54 and employed as salaried at diagnosis. Among them, 61.2% received workplace accommodations within 5 years after diagnosis: 35.5% received a modified workstation, 41.5% received a modified schedule, and 49.2% received reduced hours. After matching, receipt of workplace accommodations appeared to improve the continued employment rate 5 years after cancer diagnosis from 77.8% to 95.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of workplace accommodations strongly increases the continued employment of cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis. More research is needed to better understand the differences in receipt of workplace accommodations along with the related selection effect.

[Return to work after a cancer diagnosis]. / Reprise de l'activité professionnelle après un cancer.

Given the chronicity of cancer, its related treatments and sequalae, more attention has been paid to questioning the living conditions of cancer survivors. In the early 2000s, research have highlighted the occupational difficulties faced by cancer survivors in the first two years after diagnosis. In the line of these, this article aims to provide clinicians with information on the situation within the five years following cancer diagnosis, based on results of the VICAN5 survey. We explored three main themes: the differences between salaried and self-employed workers, the main sequelae related to the disease or the treatments, having an impact on the working lives of people concerned, and finally, the workstation layouts and their effect on job retention. The main objective is to make clinicians, who may be involved in supporting professionally active patients, aware of the difficulties that these later may encounter. Clinicians need to keep in mind the specific constraint faced by self-employed individuals since they are more likely to reduce their sick leave for financial reasons or for the functioning of their company. They also need to pay more attention to the patient-reported sequalae in order to ensure an adequate care, especially for fatigue and chronic neuropathic pain that can strongly affect his/her professional life. Finally, the clinician who is aware of the effectiveness of workstation layouts will be able to inform and to support his/her patient more precisely.

REPRISE DE L'ACTIVITÉ PROFESSIONNELLE APRÈS UN CANCER La chronicisation de la maladie de cancer, des traitements afférents et des séquelles associées conduisent à interroger les conditions de vie des personnes atteintes. Des recherches réalisées au début des années 2000 font état des difficultés professionnelles rencontrées par les personnes traitées pour un cancer dans les deux premières années après le diagnostic. Dans leur prolongement, cet article propose d'informer les cliniciens sur ce qui se passe au cours des 5 années suivant un diagnostic de cancer à l'appui des résultats de l'enquête VICAN5. Trois thématiques sont particulièrement investiguées : les différences entre travailleurs salariés et non salariés, les principales séquelles liées à la maladie ou aux traitements ayant un impact sur l'emploi des personnes diagnostiquées et, enfin, les dispositifs d'aménagement du travail et leur effet sur le maintien en emploi. L'objectif principal est de sensibiliser les professionnels, pouvant être amenés à accompagner des patients professionnellement actifs atteints de cancer, aux difficultés que ces derniers pourraient rencontrer. Ils doivent garder à l'esprit les contraintes spécifiques des travailleurs indépendants qui sont plus souvent amenés à réduire leurs arrêts de travail pour des raisons financières et relatives au fonctionnement de l'entreprise. Ils doivent également être attentifs aux séquelles décrites par le patient afin de garantir une meilleure prise en charge notamment de la fatigue et des douleurs neuropathiques chroniques susceptibles d'altérer de façon majeure sa vie professionnelle. Enfin, le praticien informé de l'efficacité des dispositifs d'aménagement du travail pourra mieux informer et conseiller son patient.

Inequality in income change among cancer survivors five years after diagnosis: Evidence from a French national survey.

Worldwide, around 18 million people receive a cancer diagnosis each year, most of whom survive long enough to face additional cancer-related costs. In France, most costs directly related to cancer are covered by the National Health Insurance Fund, and cancer patients can receive treatments without paying advance fees. In this context, the costs faced by cancer survivors are mostly social costs. Drawing on fundamental cause theory, this study aimed to explore the socially-differentiated evolution of cancer survivor's income five years after diagnosis. Our study draws on the findings of VICAN5, a French national survey that was conducted in 2015/2016 in a representative sample of 4,174 cancer survivors to obtain information on living conditions five years after diagnosis, and that was restricted to 12 tumour sites accounting for 88% of global cancer incidence in France. We used the multiple imputation method and the Heckman selection model to identify the factors associated with a decrease in household income per consumption unit (HICU), while accounting for missing data. Among survivors still working five years after diagnosis, 17.6% reported lower income at survey than at diagnosis. After adjustment for socio-demographic and medical characteristics, the decrease in HICU was more frequent in women, singles, low educated survivors, and survivors with reduced working time. Finally, subjective measures of income variation and economic well-being were a useful complement to objective measures since 31.6% of cancer survivors still working five years after diagnosis reported a perceived decrease in household income. In conclusion, inequalities in economic well-being persist long after diagnosis in France, and this despite the fact that most cancer-related costs are covered by the French National Health Insurance Fund. Consequently, more attention should be paid to cancer patients with low socio-economic status to help reduce inequalities in post-diagnosis living conditions.

Work-Related Outcomes in Self-Employed Cancer Survivors: A European Multi-country Study.

Purpose To describe: (i) patterns of self-employment and social welfare provisions for self-employed and salaried workers in several European countries; (ii) work-related outcomes after cancer in self-employed people and to compare these with the work-related outcomes of salaried survivors within each sample; and (iii) work-related outcomes for self-employed cancer survivors across countries. Methods Data from 11 samples from seven European countries were included. All samples had cross-sectional survey data on work outcomes in self-employed and salaried cancer survivors who were working at time of diagnosis (n = 22-261 self-employed/101-1871 salaried). The samples included different cancers and assessed different outcomes at different times post-diagnosis. Results Fewer self-employed cancer survivors took time off work due to cancer compared to salaried survivors. More self-employed than salaried survivors worked post-diagnosis in almost all countries. Among those working at the time of survey, self-employed survivors had made a larger reduction in working hours compared to pre-diagnosis, but they still worked more hours per week post-diagnosis than salaried survivors. The self-employed had received less financial compensation when absent from work post-cancer, and more self-employed, than salaried, survivors reported a negative financial change due to the cancer. There were differences between self-employed and salaried survivors in physical job demands, work ability and quality-of-life but the direction and magnitude of the differences differed across countries. Conclusion Despite sample differences, self-employed survivors more often continued working during treatment and had, in general, worse financial outcomes than salaried cancer survivors. Other work-related outcomes differed in different directions across countries.

Chronic neuropathic pain negatively associated with employment retention of cancer survivors: evidence from a national French survey.

PURPOSE: Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is more prevalent among cancer survivors than among the general population. This study aims to investigate the role of CNP on job retention among cancer survivors, 5 years after diagnosis. METHODS: In 2015, 2009 individuals diagnosed with cancer in 2010 were interviewed in the French national survey VIe après le CANcer. Logistic regression investigated the relationship between CNP-measured using the seven-item Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire-and employment. RESULTS: Nine hundred sixty-nine individuals were aged 18-54 and employed at diagnosis and therefore were included. Eighty-two percent were still employed in 2015, 26% had fewer working hours than before diagnosis, and 55% had the same working hours. Thirty percent reported CNP 5 years after diagnosis. These cancer survivors were less likely to be employed in 2015 than those without CNP and, if employed, were more likely to work fewer hours. After adjustment for gender, medical variables (adverse cancer event, prognosis, chemotherapy, and comorbidities) were found to still significantly affect employment retention in cancer survivors, as well as reporting CNP. CONCLUSION: Improving CNP screening and management is necessary to reduce its impact on cancer survivors' professional lives. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Healthcare policy and medical cancer survivor's follow-up must take into account the importance of the substantial impact of CNP on cancer survivors' daily lives. Therefore, in order to ensure greater employment retention for cancer survivors, raising awareness of care providers about diagnosis and management of CNP is needed.