Abstract
Background: Disparities in mammography screening remain a problem for immigrant women, while the foreign-born population has been increasing for decades in the United States. Recent studies indicate that factors associated with mammography use may have changed. Little research has been done to analyze the changing patterns of factors associated with mammography use among immigrant women. Purpose: To address these knowledge gaps, this study (1) compares age-adjusted mammography rates among immigrants by certain characteristics in 2000 and 2008; and (2) examines the factors associated with recent mammography use among immigrant women at these two time points.
Methods: National Health Interview Survey 2000 and 2008 data were used to calculate population-based descriptive statistics adjusted for survey design. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with recent mammography use among immigrant women.
Results: The mammography rates rose from 60.18% in 2000 to 65.47% in 2008 among foreign-born women. Immigrants having poor access to health care, those who recently immigrated, younger immigrants, and those with low education had the lowest mammography rates at both time points. After adjusting for covariates, lack of access to health care persistently contributes to the lower percentage of mammography screening among immigrants. Longer residency in the U.S. was associated with a higher chance of receiving mammography among immigrants in 2000 but not in 2008. In contrast, age 50–64 compared to age 65 or older was associated with a higher chance of receiving mammography among immigrants in 2008 but not in 2000.
Conclusion: Mammography rates have improved over time among immigrant women and some disparities are decreasing, however, lack of health care access remains an important barrier to breast cancer screening for this population.
Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):B21.
