Evaluation of Formal and Informal Spatial Coastal Area Planning Process in Baltic Sea Region

Many shared views of both scholars and practitioners reflect spatial planning as a place-creating process that must be understood from a multi-level perspective. Formal and informal planning modes have variations in planning practices in different countries. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the interaction of formal and informal spatial planning in the frame of the spatial planning system in the Baltic Sea region. We were searching to highlight the involvement possibilities of territorial communities in the spatial planning process around the Baltic Sea region, focusing on coastal areas and their specific features in Latvia, Estonia, the Åland Islands of Finland, and Sweden. Involved experts expressed views based on a pre-developed model to identify how institutionalized formal spatial planning relates with informal interventions. This allowed the development and proposal of a model for coastal area spatial planning and implementation. We concluded that in the spatial planning approach, the governance works differently in different countries, and coastal area spatial planning differs from regular spatial planning. The information base is sufficient to initiate spatial planning at the municipal level, but municipalities should be more active, involving territorial communities in the planning, implementation, and control of municipal spatial planning, as this ensures a greater interest in the use of planning outcome.

Post-reproductive aged women: a lost generation in the cervical cancer screening programme

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study were to find out why some post-reproductive aged women did not participate in the organised cervical cancer screening programme in Latvia and to clarify factors that would motivate them to take part.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out between January and July 2017 among female patients in three general practitioner (GP) practices. GP practice nurses used the Latvian national health service database to identify women aged 25-70 who had not participated in the organised programme for the last 3 years. Participants were asked to complete a specially developed questionnaire. The results were then compared between three age groups: 25-34, 35-49 and 50-70 years.

RESULTS

Included in the study were 523 out of 992 women who had not attended screening; 41% were in the age group 50-70 years. Post-reproductive aged women statistically significantly more often did not take part in the programme because of lack of time (26.4%), too great a distance to the gynaecology screening clinic (10.4%), lengthy appointment waiting time (8.5%) and a belief that a smear test was unnecessary for them (8.5%); 32.1% of women in this age group indicated that if the cervical screen could be carried out by their GP it would facilitate their participation in the programme.

CONCLUSION

Post-reproductive aged women in Latvia often do not attend cervical cancer screening. Analysis of personal and organisational barriers confirmed that the involvement of GPs would encourage older women to participate in the organised screening programme.