Abstract C098: Correlates of cervical cancer screening among Pacific Islander women on Guam and Hawaii

Background There are significant disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates among Pacific Islander women. Native Hawaiian females have the highest incidence rates for cervical cancer in HI, and Chamorro and Micronesian have the highest incidence rates on Guam. The objective of this study was to examine the rates and the correlates of Pap smear test among Pacific Islander women. Methods This study conducted a cross-sectional survey using respondent driven sampling (RDS) of 802 women aged 21-65, including 235 Native Hawaiians, 190 Chuukese, 119 Marshallese, 157 Chamorro and 62 Filipino from Guam and Hawaii. Self-reported screening rates were compared across ethnic groups and migrant status using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Binary logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of cervical cancer screening. Results Only 64% of our sample had received a screening for cervical cancer within the past 3 years. Filipino women had the highest screening rates (71%) followed by Chamorro (69%), Marshallese (68%), Native Hawaiian (64%) and Chuukese (58%). There was no significant difference in screening rates between women aged 21-39 and 40-65. Recent migrants were less likely to have been screen within the past 3 years when compared to US born respondents (OR=0.37; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.84) even after adjusting for education and having health care. Those women agreeing with the statement that health systems treat people unfairly based on their ethnic background were less likely to be screen (OR=0.52; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.81) when compared with those who did not agree. Conclusion The rates for cervical cancer screening tests for Pacific Island women remain far below the goals set forth in Healthy People 2010. Culturally competent, community-based care for women is needed to increase Pap smear screening among minority groups

Citation Format: Grazyna Badowski, Louis Dulana, Lilnabeth P Somera, Kevin Cassel, Hye-ryeon Lee. Correlates of cervical cancer screening among Pacific Islander women on Guam and Hawaii [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C098.