Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Screening in Low-Income African Americans in Tennessee

Abstract

This study examined demographic and lifestyle factors that influenced decisions and obstacles to being screened for breast cancer in low-income African Americans in three urban Tennessee cities. As part of the Meharry Community Networks Program (CNP) needs assessment, a 123-item community survey was administered to assess demographic characteristics, health care access and utilization, and screening practices for various cancers in low-income African Americans. For this study, only African American women 40 years and older (n=334) were selected from the Meharry CNP community survey database. There were several predictors of breast cancer screening such as marital status and having health insurance (P< .05). Additionally, there were associations between obstacles to screening and geographic region such as transportation and not having enough information about screenings (P< .05). Educational interventions aimed at improving breast cancer knowledge and screening rates should incorporate information about obstacles and predictors to screening.

Racial disparities in breast cancer diagnosis in Central Georgia in the United States

“…Possible implicating factors can include socioeconomic as well as biological status. 3 In our study, a greater percentage of African Americans were insured through Medicaid, whereas a greater percentage of whites had private health insurance. We did not determined patient socioeconomic status in our study, but these f ndings may imply that socioeconomic status was a factor.…”

“…15 Mammography use among African American women seems to correlate with household income. 3,16,17 T is study demonstrated that white women with breast cancer in Central Georgia were more likely to have private insurance than were African American women with breast cancer. In addition, Medicaid rates among African Americans were signif cantly higher than among their white counterparts.…”

Paths to health equity: Local area variation in progress toward eliminating breast cancer mortality disparities, 1990‐2009

“…Advantaged segments of the population may be better educated, better insured, and more highly resourced, and this may lead to higher and quicker utilization of mammography, diagnostic screening tests, and cutting-edge cancer treatments. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Biologic differences could also be unmasked by improved treatments. For example, it is possible that the development of effective treatments for receptor-positive cancers unmasked inadequacies in our treatment of triplenegative breast cancer, which is more common among black or African American women.…”

Survival Analysis of Women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using EMRLinked Cancer Registry Data in Florida

“…The potentially significant impact that social support can have on breast cancer detection, treatment, and survival has been well described [45][46][47]. Married women are also more likely to participate in breast cancer screening compared to their unmarried counterparts [48][49][50]. J Womens Health Gyn 2016 | Vol 3: 104…”