Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113883

Hongyu Wu¹, Kangmin Zhu¹, Robert J. Lipnick², Tzu-Cheg Kao, PhD², Mona Shah, MPH¹, and John Potter¹. (1) US. Military Cancer Institute, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20307-5001, 202-782-3521, hongyu.wu@na.amedd.army.mil, (2) Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Briage Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799

Objective: Some studies have suggested that obese women are less likely to be screened for cervical cancer. Using data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey, we examined whether there is an association between body mass index (BMI) and the use of Pap smear screening for cervical cancer and whether the association varies by race or age. Methods: We identified 15,113 women aged 18 to 75, of whom 3,858 did not have a Pap smear within the 3 years prior to the survey. We used logistic regression to determine whether BMI was associated with cervical cancer screening. We further considered whether the association between BMI and cervical cancer screening was similar for Caucasian and African American women and by age (<50, >=50). Result: After adjusting for race and age, BMI was not associated with the use of cervical cancer screening. However, moderate obesity (BMI=35-39.9) was associated with the underuse of Pap smear (odds ratio (OR), 3.12 and 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.28-7.61) in African-American women, although no association was found for other BMI levels. In Caucasian women, BMI was not related to the underuse of Pap smear screening in the past 3 years. The results remain similar when the analysis was confined to younger women (ages 18 to 49). Conclusion: African-American women with moderate obesity might be less likely to have Pap smear tests compared to those with normal weight. However, such an association was not shown in Caucasian women.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the relationship between obesity and cervical cancer screening and potential racial differences in the relationship

Keywords: Cancer Screening, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.