50th JHEP conference 2022
Behavioral Changes Caused by COVID-19 among Women Receiving General Health Examination
2022 Volume 49 Issue 6 Pages 639-644
Details
2022 Volume 49 Issue 6 Pages 639-644
[Objective] Under the declaration of a state of emergency due to the spread of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) in April 2020 and May 2020, we suspended the provision of general health examination. In June 2020, we resumed our service but restricted the number of examinees to 60% of the usual capacity. In this study, the backgrounds of examinees evaluated before and after these months were compared.
[Methods] Among female examinees who received general health examination at our hospital between January 2019 and December 2020, we targeted a total of 3,494 cases in which the insureds' health insurance classifications were confirmed to be principal or dependent family members. We studied the number of breast and uterine cancer screenings performed and the number of cases of these cancers that were diagnosed.
[Results] Compared with the 2019, we identified a decreased number of examinees in the 2020 who were between the ages of 35 and 39 years, regardless of the insureds' classifications. There were relatively more breast cancer screening applicants than during normal years in the principal member classification, but the number of applicants was approximately the same as that during normal years in the dependent family member classification.
[Discussion] In many cases, general health examination examinees who are subsidized by health insurance in the principal member classification receive qualified periodical health examinations in accordance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act. However, women in their thirties and forties have vitally important roles in raising children, and they are also at an increased risk of developing breast and uterine cancers. Therefore, examination for early detection is essential. In the future, engaging in subtle awareness activities based on the examinees' backgrounds such as their lifestyles and work environment, providing needed information, and encouraging examinations are important.
