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Non-communicable chronic diseases and timely breast cancer screening among women of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study

Cancer Causes & Control volume 29, pages 315–324 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The Caribbean population faces a growing burden of multiple non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in the Caribbean. Given the substantial burden of NCDs across the region, cancer prevention and control strategies may need to be specifically tailored for people with multiple co-morbidities. Preventive screening, such as timely mammography, is essential but may be either facilitated or hampered by chronic disease control. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between a chronic disease and timely breast cancer screening.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis using baseline data from the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study—ECS. Our independent variables were presence of chronic diseases (hypertension or diabetes), defined as having been told by a clinical provider. Our dependent variable was timely screening mammography, as defined by receipt of mammography within the past 2 years. We examined bivariate and multivariate associations of covariates and timely screening mammography.

Results

In our sample (n = 841), 52% reported timely screening mammography. Among those with timely screening, 50.8% reported having hypertension, and 22.3% reported having diabetes. In our bivariate analyses, both diabetes and hypertension were associated with timely screening mammography. In partially adjusted models, we found that women with diabetes were significantly more likely to report timely screening mammography than women without diabetes. In our fully adjusted models, the association was no longer significant. Having a usual source of healthcare and a woman’s island of residence were significantly associated with timely screening mammography (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

We found that half of eligible women received timely screening mammography. Diabetes and hypertension, though common, are not associated with timely screening mammography. Usual source of care remains an important factor to timely breast cancer screening.

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Acknowledgments

All authors were supported in part by U24 MD006938 and U54MD010711 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The funders had no role in the design or conduct of the study. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of the funding source.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equity Research and Innovation Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

    K. H. Wang, T. A. Thompson, D. Galusha, H. Friedman & M. Nunez-Smith

  2. School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    C. M. Nazario

  3. School of Nursing, University of the Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands

    M. Nunez

  4. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

    R. G. Maharaj

  5. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Cave Hill, Barbados

    O. P. Adams

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  1. K. H. Wang
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  2. T. A. Thompson
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  4. H. Friedman
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on behalf of the ECHORN Writing Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. H. Wang.

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Wang, K.H., Thompson, T.A., Galusha, D. et al. Non-communicable chronic diseases and timely breast cancer screening among women of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study. Cancer Causes Control 29, 315–324 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-018-1005-4

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Keywords

  • Caribbean
  • Non-communicable chronic diseases
  • Screening mammography
  • Social determinants of health