Determinants and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in Tajikistan: Evidence From the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey.

PURPOSE: This study examined the determinants of breast and cervical cancer screening and quantified socioeconomic inequalities in service use. METHODS: We analyzed data from women age 15-49 years from the 2023 Tajikistan Demographic and Health Survey. The outcomes were self-reported ever having received a clinical breast examination for breast cancer and ever having been tested for cervical cancer. The prevalence was estimated using weighted descriptive statistics and Rao-Scott chi-square tests. Determinants were examined with multivariable logistic regression, reporting adjusted odds ratios (AORs), and 95% confidence intervals. Socioeconomic inequality was assessed using concentration curves and concentration indices, accounting for the complex survey design. CONCLUSION: Strategies prioritizing integrating screening into reproductive and primary care, expanding outreach to poorer households, ensuring financial protection, and delivering community-based services in rural areas, alongside monitoring equity indicators, are critical to advancing universal access to breast and cervical cancer screening in Tajikistan.