Breast Cancer Screening in Black and Hispanic Subpopulations

Abstract

Background: The primary objective was to examine and compare the breast cancer screening adherence rates between black (African American and Afro-Caribbean) and Hispanic (foreign born Hispanic and US-born Hispanic) subpopulations. Methods: Study data was collected in community settings in New York City between the years of 2011-2012. Participants (N=592) were black and Hispanic individuals who attended a breast cancer screening community outreach program. Breast cancer screening rates as well as demographic data were collected. Results: Results revealed that Afro-Caribbean and foreign-born Hispanics are at a greater risk for non-adherence in breast cancer screening compared with African Americans and US-born Hispanics. Conclusions: The majority of breast screening research and community outreach programs categorize people into broad racial and ethnic groups (e.g., black and Hispanic). The results revealed significant variability within these broader racial/ethnic categories with regard to breast cancer screening. Community outreach programs and future research efforts should target the subpopulations that are at particular risk for breast cancer screening non-adherence.