TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived Susceptibility to Cervical Cancer among African American Women in the Mississippi Delta
T2 - Does Adherence to Screening Matter?
AU - Gibson, Elena G.
AU - Gage, Julia C.
AU - Castle, Philip E.
AU - Scarinci, Isabel C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding Statement: Supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute in the United States ( U01CA86128 ). Ms. Gibson was also supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number TL1TR001418 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Background: Although preventive measures have greatly decreased the national burden of cervical cancer, racial/ethnic and geographic disparities remain, including the disproportionate incidence and mortality among African American women in the Mississippi Delta. Along with structural barriers, health perceptions and cultural beliefs influence participation in cervical screening. This study examined perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer among African American women in the Delta across three groups: 1) women attending screening appointments (screened), 2) women attending colposcopy clinic following an abnormal Papanicolaou test (colposcopy), and 3) women with no screening in 3 years or longer (unscreened/underscreened). Methods: Data were collected during a study assessing the feasibility/acceptability of self-collected sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a cervical screening modality. A questionnaire assessed demographics, health care access, and cervical cancer knowledge and beliefs (including perceived susceptibility). Participants were asked, “Do you think you are at risk for cervical cancer?” and responses included yes, no, and I don't know. Multinomial logistic regression models compared variables associated with answers among each group. Results: Of 524 participants, one-half did not know if they were at risk of cervical cancer (50%) or HPV exposure (53%). Between the unscreened/underscreened (n = 160), screened (n = 198), and colposcopy (n = 166) groups, age (p <.001), education (p =.02), and perceived risk of HPV exposure (p <.01) differed. Older age and younger age at first intercourse (unscreened/underscreened), family history and screening recommendations (screened), and family history and perceived risk of HPV exposure (colposcopy) were associated with perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer. Conclusions: Differences in the perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer exist between African American women in the Delta. Understanding these variations can help in developing strategies to promote screening among this population with a high burden of disease.
AB - Background: Although preventive measures have greatly decreased the national burden of cervical cancer, racial/ethnic and geographic disparities remain, including the disproportionate incidence and mortality among African American women in the Mississippi Delta. Along with structural barriers, health perceptions and cultural beliefs influence participation in cervical screening. This study examined perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer among African American women in the Delta across three groups: 1) women attending screening appointments (screened), 2) women attending colposcopy clinic following an abnormal Papanicolaou test (colposcopy), and 3) women with no screening in 3 years or longer (unscreened/underscreened). Methods: Data were collected during a study assessing the feasibility/acceptability of self-collected sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a cervical screening modality. A questionnaire assessed demographics, health care access, and cervical cancer knowledge and beliefs (including perceived susceptibility). Participants were asked, “Do you think you are at risk for cervical cancer?” and responses included yes, no, and I don't know. Multinomial logistic regression models compared variables associated with answers among each group. Results: Of 524 participants, one-half did not know if they were at risk of cervical cancer (50%) or HPV exposure (53%). Between the unscreened/underscreened (n = 160), screened (n = 198), and colposcopy (n = 166) groups, age (p <.001), education (p =.02), and perceived risk of HPV exposure (p <.01) differed. Older age and younger age at first intercourse (unscreened/underscreened), family history and screening recommendations (screened), and family history and perceived risk of HPV exposure (colposcopy) were associated with perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer. Conclusions: Differences in the perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer exist between African American women in the Delta. Understanding these variations can help in developing strategies to promote screening among this population with a high burden of disease.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.whi.2018.09.006
DO - 10.1016/j.whi.2018.09.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 30401612
AN - SCOPUS:85055863806
SN - 1049-3867
VL - 29
SP - 38
EP - 47
JO - Women's Health Issues
JF - Women's Health Issues
IS - 1
ER -
