Abstract

Examining Race and Socioeconomic Status as Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening and Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in Women

Marlene Ochoa, MPH, Ashley Parks, DrPH, MPH, MBA, MTech, MCHES, CPH, CPHQ, HACP, CSSBB, CPHRM, CHTS-IM, PMP, CS-MC, CPPS, Melissa Wigginton, DrPH, Lindsay Fahnestock, DrPH, California Baptist University

APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo

More than 4,000 women die from cervical cancer yearly, even though 93% of cervical cancers are preventable with HPV screenings and vaccinations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). In 2012, women ages 21-65 in the United States reported they had not been screened for cervical cancer (CDC, 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of variables such as ethnicity/race, income, education, HPV screening, and HPV vaccine uptake of cervical cancer. The 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data was used to determine if there was a significant difference between sociodemographic factors such as race, ethnicity, household income, and education with disparities in HPV screenings and vaccines among women. A cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study. The study revealed a significant relationship in HPV screening across race/ethnicity categories, income level, and education. The findings in HPV screening across race/ethnicity categories were (H (5) = 43.846, p <.001), within income level (X2(1) =12.077, p <.001), and education were (X2(1) = 52.220, p < .001). There also was a significant relationship in HPV vaccination across race/ethnicity categories, income level, and education. The results in HPV vaccination in race/ethnicity categories were (H (5) = 36.367, p <.0010), income level (X2(1) = 2.145, p >.143), and education were (X2(1) = 14.490, p <.001). The findings from this study are beneficial in identifying the disparities among women residing in underserved communities for cervical cancer screenings and acquiring the HPV vaccination series. This study demonstrates race/ethnicity, income, and education are factors that make a woman more susceptible to cervical cancer. Therefore, health educators must be conscious of the community's cultural background and its impacts when addressing the disparities in racial/ethnic women with different socioeconomic statuses. It is vital for public health and healthcare professionals to implement more efforts to promote HPV screening and HPV vaccination at the state and national levels to decrease cervical cancer incidence.
Key Words: Women, HPV screening, HPV vaccination, race, ethnicity, income, education, cervical cancer