Older Mexican-American women and cancer screening: progress toward targets for healthy people 2000.
BACKGROUND
Published information about cancer screening in older Mexican-American women is scarce. This study reported the patterns of mammogram and Pap test use among older Mexican-American women. The patterns and associated factors were examined and compared with Healthy People 2000 targets.


METHODS
Data were obtained from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly, the largest representative survey of community-dwelling Mexican Americans aged 67 years or over, from the southwestern United States.


RESULTS
Among older Mexican-American women, 68.3% reported ever having a mammogram, and 41.2% reported having a mammogram in the last two years; 64.0% reported ever having a Pap test, with 43.6% reported having a Pap test in the last three years.


CONCLUSIONS
The data for older Mexican-American women demonstrated that they approached the targets for breast cancer screening, but not for Pap test use.
Wu
Z H
ZH
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0587 USA. zhwu@utmb.edu
Black
S A
SA
Freeman
J L
JL
Markides
K S
KS
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000639:trends*; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*