Disability and preventive cancer screening: results from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to evaluate preventive cancer screening compliance among adults with disability in California.


METHODS
We used data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey to compare disabled and nondisabled adults for differences in preventive cancer screening behaviors. Compliance rates for cancer screening tests (mammography, Papanicolaou test, prostate-specific antigen, sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy, and fecal occult blood test) between the 2 subpopulations were evaluated.


RESULTS
Women with disabilities were 17% (Papanicolaou tests) and 13% (mammograms) more likely than women without disabilities to report noncompliance with cancer screening guidelines. Interactions between disability and reports of a doctor recommendation on cervical cancer screening were significant; women with disabilities had a lower likelihood of receiving a recommendation. Men with disabilities were 19% less likely than men without disabilities to report a prostate-specific antigen test within the last 3 years.


CONCLUSIONS
secondary to structural and/or clinical factors underpinning the differences found.
Ramirez
Anthony
A
University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research and the California Health Interview Survey, Los Angeles 90024, USA. tonyram@ucla.edu
Farmer
Gail C
GC
Grant
David
D
Papachristou
Theodora
T
D002140:California; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors