Healthy lifestyles and access to periodic health exams among Brazilian women.

Using data from the World Health Survey carried out in Brazil in 2003, this paper has the objective of describing the sociodemographic profile of Brazilian women (age 18-69 years of age) that have adequate health care, not only with respect to health service utilization but also to healthy lifestyles. Sociodemographic variables (age, marital status, race, education level, number of household assets, and occupation), health care variables (periodic gynecologic exam with Papanicolaou, mammography among women aged 40-69 years, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, dental care, private health insurance), and self-rated health were analyzed by municipality size strata. Logistic regression models were used to identify the characteristics of women that have adequate health care. Coverage of periodic gynecologic exam with Papanicolaou was 65.0% and mammography coverage was 47.0%. Less than 20.0% of Brazilian women have adequate care, and the most associated factors were: being younger than 40 years old, having higher educational level, having private health insurance and being married. The results indicate the need to develop health promotion policies focused on modifying the risk habits and risk practices to health, and to stimulate preventive periodic health exams.