Correlates of breast cancer screening among low-income, low-education Latinas.

Abstract

This paper discusses the factors associated with breast cancer screening among low-education, low-income Latinas. These data were collected as part of a breast cancer educational intervention study aimed at this population. The objective of the larger study was to evaluate multimedia methods as an appropriate medium for educating this population of Latinas about breast cancer. The study was designed as a field experiment with a pre and posttest design. A total of 1,197 individuals participated in the study, and these were all self-identified Latinas above the age of 40 years who fit the screening criteria of low income and education levels. Of these, 583 individuals provided the baseline (pretest) data on mammogram attitudes, knowledge, and intentions analyzed in this paper. Our results indicate that breast cancer screening knowledge and having a regular doctor were significant factors in ever having had a mammogram and having had a recent mammogram in this sample of low-income, low-education Latinas. Age affected the odds of ever having had a mammogram, but not a recent mammogram. Attitudes toward mammography, insurance status, and demographic factors such as foreign birth were not significant predictors of mammography screening in this study.