The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #36318

Samantha Garbers, MPA, Research & Evaluation, Medical & Health Research Association of New York City, Inc., 40 Worth Street, Suite 720, New York, NY 10013, 212-285-0220, sgarbers@mhra.org, Mary Ann Chiasson, DrPH, Research and Evaluation Unit, Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, 40 Worth Street Suite 720, New York, NY 10013, Maria Uribelarrea, NP, MIC-Women's Health Services, Medical and Health Research Association of NYC, Inc, 225 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Dorothy J. Jessop, PhD, MHRA, 40 Worth Street, Suite 720, New York, NY 10013, and Heather M. Foti, MPH, Medical & Health Research Association, 40 Worth Street, Room 720, New York, NY 10013.

The “Breast Cancer Screening & the Multigenerational Hispanic Family” project interviewed Mexican and Dominican women seeking services at MIC-Women’s Health Services and their female relatives age 40 and over. A total of 616 women (315 clients, 301 relatives) were interviewed. Of the relatives age 40 and over, only 30% had more than elementary education, only 33% had health insurance, 43% had no regular source of health care, and 99% immigrated to the US at age 12 or later. Among the younger women (MIC clients), more than three quarters had at least a high school education, 46% had health insurance, and 59% had been in the US less than 10 years. Compared to Dominican women, Mexican women were significantly (p<.01) less likely to have heard of or to practice breast self-exam (BSE), clinical breast exam, or mammograms. Other factors significantly associated with lower levels of screening knowledge and practice were: not having a source of care, not knowing anyone with breast cancer, being in the US less than 10 years, and less than high school education. Our findings showed a strong need for education: only 37% of the women were “sure” or “very sure” they could find a breast change with BSE, 28% could not name any cause or risk factor for breast cancer, 27% said that hits (“golpes”) cause breast cancer, and 12% stated that not breastfeeding was a cause of breast cancer. Despite higher educational attainment, young women were no less likely to cite these causes of breast cancer.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe areas of need and identify Latina immigrant population subgroups that are in greatest need of breast cancer screening education;
• Develop creative program approaches to address areas of misinformation and target these hard-to-reach groups, with the ultimate goal of increasing screening knowledge and practice, including the proportion of women having regular screening mammograms.

Keywords: Breast Cancer Screening, Latinas

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.