TY - JOUR T1 - Perspectives of non-attenders for cervical cancer screening in Norway: a qualitative focus group study JF - BMJ Open JO - BMJ Open DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029505 VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - e029505 AU - Gunvor Aasbø AU - Kari Nyheim Solbrække AU - Jo Waller AU - Ameli Tropé AU - Mari Nygård AU - Bo Terning Hansen Y1 - 2019/08/01 UR - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e029505.abstract N2 - Objective The attendance rate for cervical cancer screening in Norway is currently suboptimal at 69%, and an in-depth understanding of postponement of cervical cancer screening from the perspective of non-attenders is lacking. This study aims to generate knowledge about how non-attenders for cervical cancer screening reflect on booking a screening appointment.Methods Using the Norwegian cervical cancer screening registry, we identified and recruited women who were non-attenders to screening. Nine focus group interviews were carried out, with 41 women participating in the interviews.Results Four main themes were generated, which provide a comprehensive understanding of how women who are overdue for screening reflect on their hesitancy to book a screening appointment: ‘It’s easy to forget about it’, ‘Women have to arrange their own appointment’, ‘It has to be a ‘must’’ and ‘It’s a humiliating situation’.Conclusion The degree to which women regard screening as important is affected by the nudging strategies employed in the screening programme and the facilitation of attendance provided by healthcare services. Dependence on one’s personal initiative to schedule a screening appointment and perception of a lack of responsibility on the part of healthcare services to attend screening may undermine informed and shared decision-making about screening attendance. ER -