Impact of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program on mammography and pap test utilization among white, Hispanic, and African American women: 1996–2000†
Article first published online: 29 NOV 2006
Copyright © 2006 American Cancer Society
Supplement: Exploring Models to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Among African American and Latino Populations: Research and Community Solutions
Volume 109, Issue Supplement 2, pages 348–358, 15 January 2007
How to Cite
Adams, E. K., Breen, N. and Joski, P. J. (2007), Impact of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program on mammography and pap test utilization among white, Hispanic, and African American women: 1996–2000. Cancer, 109: 348–358. doi: 10.1002/cncr.22353
Presented at Exploring Models to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Among African American and Latino Populations: Research and Community Solutions, Atlanta, Georgia, April 21-22, 2005.
- Issue published online: 8 JAN 2007
- Article first published online: 29 NOV 2006
- Manuscript Accepted: 6 SEP 2006
- Manuscript Received: 30 JUN 2006
- American Cancer Society. Grant Number: ACS RSTG-05-004-01
- National Cancer Institute
- racial disparities;
Prevention, including routine cancer screening, is key to meeting national goals for the elimination of death and suffering due to cancer. Since 1991, the U.S. government has invested in programs such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to detect breast and cervical cancer early among uninsured low-income women. A concomitant goal is reducing racial disparities in screening and early detection, and the NBCCEDP program targets low-income women who are more often racial and ethnic minorities. This paper analyzes data to test for effects of the NBCCEDP and other determinants of screening across racial/ethnic groups. We used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 1996 through 2000. These data indicate that gaps in testing for breast and cervical cancers between African American and non-Hispanic white women aged 40–64 years have closed but remain for Hispanics. Multivariate findings indicate that the longevity of free screening sites through the NBCCEDP significantly increased both tests for non-Hispanic white women. The data do not confirm this effect for other racial and ethnic groups. Analysis did indicate that public insurance, or Medicaid, was equal to private insurance in promoting increased testing for African Americans and Hispanics, but not for non-Hispanic whites. Assuring that Medicaid remains available for women in this nonelderly group and increasing access to free screening sites can lead us closer to national screening goals, yet policies still need to address racial/ethnic disparities in insurance and service delivery. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society.