Breast and cervical cancer screening among South Asian women in New York City.
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.
Islam
Nadia
N
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
Kwon
Simona C
SC
Senie
Ruby
R
Kathuria
Navneet
N
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