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Acculturation and cancer screening among latinas: Results From the National Health Interview Survey

  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background: Although early detection of breast and cervical cancer is one of the most effective means of assuring timely treatment and survival, the cultural hypothesis proposes that traditional norms, values, and beliefs deter Latinas from being screened.Purpose:We assessed whether acculturation is associated with Latinas'receipt ofarecentmammogram,clinical breast examination (CBE), andPapanicolaou (Pap) test, and the contribution of acculturation to screening after adjusting for sociodemographic variables.Methods:We used data from the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement of the 1991 National Health Interview Survey. The sample for analyses of Pap test utilization included 1,370 Latinas age 18 and over, and for mammography and CBE, 525 Latinawomenage 40 and over.Results: Acculturation was associated with a higher likelihood of having had a recent mammogram, but this effect was not significant when controlling for sociodemographic factors. In both adjusted and unadjusted analyses, acculturation did not predict recent Pap smears. Acculturation was associated with greater likelihood of recent CBE, controlling for sociodemographic factors.Conclusions: The association between acculturation and cancer screening is inconsistent. Theoretical models are needed to explain the mechanisms involved in the association (or lack thereof) between acculturation and screening.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociomedical Sciences Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, USA

    Ana F. Abraído-Lanza Ph.D., Maria T. Chao Dr.P.H., M.P.A. & Charisse Y. Gates M.P.H.

Authors
  1. Ana F. Abraído-Lanza Ph.D.
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  2. Maria T. Chao Dr.P.H., M.P.A.
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  3. Charisse Y. Gates M.P.H.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana F. Abraído-Lanza Ph.D..

Additional information

This research was supported by Grant 1R03CA81619 to Ana Abraído-Lanza from the National Cancer Institute. Support for preparing this article was provided to Maria Chao by a National Research Service Award for predoctoral training from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (1F31AT0001401) and to Charisse Gates by the Initiative for Minority Student Development at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, an education project funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (1R25GM62454). This study was made possible by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) by providing the National Health Interview Survey for public use. The analyses, interpretations, and conclusions presented here do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the NCHS, which is responsible only for the initial data.

Special thanks to Ms. Veronica Benson and colleagues at the NCHS for providing technical assistance and information concerning the National Health Interview Survey.

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Abraído-Lanza, A.F., Chao, M.T. & Gates, C.Y. Acculturation and cancer screening among latinas: Results From the National Health Interview Survey. ann. behav. med. 29, 22–28 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm2901_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm2901_4

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