title: Breast and cervical cancer screening among South Asian women in New York City.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to document the breast and cervical cancer screening practices of a community sample of South Asian women living in the New York City area. A convenience sample of 98 women was engaged in face-to-face interviews regarding their socio-demographic characteristics and cancer screening utilization. Sixty-seven percent of women had ever had a Pap test; 54% had one in the last 3 years. Seventy percent of women over 40 had ever had a mammogram; 56% had one in the last 2 years. Sixty-six percent of women had knowledge of breast self-exam (BSE); 34% of women ever practiced BSE. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that insurance status was a significant predictor of ever having a Pap test or mammogram, receiving timely Pap tests, and ever practicing BSE. Education was a significant predictor of ever having a Pap test and having knowledge of BSE. Marital status was a predictor of receiving timely Pap tests, and having spent more time in the U.S. was a predictor of ever practicing BSE. The study concludes that increased educational efforts must be developed targeting immigrant South Asian women of low socioeconomic status with limited access to healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York City, New York 10016-6481, USA. nadia.islam@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Simona C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Ruby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Senie
authors.forename: Navneet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kathuria
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology