title: Perceived discrimination is associated with reduced breast and cervical cancer screening: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Racial disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening have been documented in African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. Perceived discrimination may contribute to this disparity. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between perceived everyday racial/ethnic and other discrimination and receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening in a multiethnic population of women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 3,258 women participating in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multiethnic/racial, longitudinal cohort study of the natural history of the menopausal transition conducted at seven U.S. sites. Participants completed a validated measure of perceived discrimination and reasons for believing that they were treated differently, along with Pap smears, clinical breast exams (CBE), and mammography at each follow-up period. We used multiple logistic regression for the binary outcomes of having a Pap smear, CBE, or mammogram in each of the two follow-up years, using self-reported "race discrimination" and "other discrimination" at baseline as the main predictors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African American women reported the highest percentage of racial discrimination (35%), followed by Chinese (20%), Hispanic (12%), Japanese (11%), and non-Hispanic white women (3%). Non-Hispanic white women reported the highest percentage of "other" discrimination (40%), followed by Chinese (33%), African American (24%), Japanese (23%), and Hispanic women (16%). Perceived racial discrimination was not associated with reduced receipt of preventive screening, except in one fully adjusted model. Reported discrimination owing to "other" reasons, such as age or gender, was associated with reduced receipt of Pap smear (odds ratio [OR] 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.99), CBE (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.67-0.91), and mammography (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.69-0.92) regardless of patient race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceived discrimination is an important issue across racial/ethnic groups and is negatively associated with receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening. This is an important issue that needs to be further explored and addressed in efforts to improve the delivery of healthcare to all groups.
authors.affiliation: 1 Departments of Medicine and Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rathouz
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karavolos
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Everson-Rose
authors.forename: Imke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Howard M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kravitz
authors.forename: Tené T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Lynda H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011287:Prejudice; D012938:Social Perception; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*