Predictors of mammography screening among ethnically diverse low-income women.
OBJECTIVE
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Minority women are less likely to be screened and more likely to die from breast cancer than are Caucasian women. Although some studies have examined ethnic disparities in mammography screening, no study has examined whether there are ethnic disparities among low-income, ethnically diverse women. The present study was designed to determine whether there are ethnic disparities in mammography screening and predictors of screening among low-income African American, Mexican American, and Caucasian women, and to determine whether the disparities and predictors vary across ethnic groups.


METHODS
The participants were 146 low-income women who were Mexican American (32%), African American (31%), or Caucasian (37%). Statistical analyses were performed to assess the relationships between mammography screening during the past 2 years and potential predictors of screening, both within ethnic groups and for the combined sample.


RESULTS
The results varied depending on whether analyses combined ethnic groups or were performed within each of the three ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
It is, therefore, important to examine within-group differences when examining ethnic disparities in predictors of mammography.
Cronan
Terry A
TA
San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA. tcronan@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
Villalta
Ian
I
Gottfried
Emily
E
Vaden
Yavette
Y
Ribas
Mabel
M
Conway
Terry L
TL
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D011203:Poverty; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology