Can text message reminders improve participation in cervical cancer screening?

INTERVENTION: The eligible population for cervical cancer screening on March 2019 was managed by Division of Health Promotion, Health Bureau of Keelung City and analyzed by one specific staff to make sure all the list based on the nationwide cervical cancer screening criteria. First the individual tendency toward participation for cervical cancer screening was calculated by the following coefficients, which were estimated from previous project of Changhua community data. The multiple logistic regression was conducted to estimate the factors that affecting participation on cervical cancer screening, including age, years of education, marital status, and time interval since last date of screening participation. Secondly, the individual tendency of cervical cancer screening participation was generated based those coefficients. Using the tertial approach (33.3% and 66.6%), this study population was classified into three groups: low‐, medium‐, and high‐level of tendency toward participation in cervical cancer screening, which was conducted for stratification of the screening participating tendency. Thirdly, for each stratum, those women were randomly allocated into one of two groups. Random numbers were generated by the SAS program using its RANUNI function, which gave a random number for each participant based on uniform distribution. Then the participants were sorted by ascending random number to rearrange the list with random order. Those who were before and after the halfway point of the list were assigned as intervention and control groups, respectively. Each stratum was randomized using this procedure. For the interventional groups in low‐, medium‐, and high‐level tendency, a list of mobile phone numbers was provided in Excel format to the technology company. To assure the quality of mobile message sending for eligible cervical cancer screening population, the only one technology company was authorized to manage the sending tas CONDITION: Cervical cancer screening ; Cancer PRIMARY OUTCOME: Attendance for Pap smear within 70 days of the first mobile text message reminder being sent assessed by matching the participant information with the National Cervical Cancer Screening Registry System, which includes the date of participating pap smear, smear results, date of further referral, and basic results. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Women aged 30 years or over 2. Have never had a cervical smear test or have not had one for at least 3 years 3. Have mobile phone number recorded in cervical cancer screening management system