Health Disparities with Mammogram and Pap Test Utilization Among Low Income African American Women
Open Access
- Author:
- Kallur, Aarathi
- Area of Honors:
- Health Policy and Administration
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Jeannette A Rogowski, Thesis Supervisor
Selena E Ortiz, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- health disparities
mammograms
pap smear
cancer
preventative care
utilization rates
low income
black women
African American women - Abstract:
- Black women and other minority women have high mortality rates from breast cancer and cervical cancer. Mortality from both of these cancers are highly preventable through routine mammograms, which are x-rays of breast tissue, and Pap smear tests, which study the cells in the cervix. Both of these tests can detect cancerous cells before the cancer progresses to later stages, and detecting cancer early can give a patient the best chance for survival. If cancer is caught in the later stages, then there is a lower chance for survival and higher treatment costs (World Health Organization, 2023). A systemic literature review and quantitative analysis was done to understand the various factors that affect the utilization of these preventative tests. The purpose of this study is to analyze the utilization rates of mammograms and Pap smear tests among low-income Black women and other minority women. The study also aims to identify some of the factors that are associated with utilization rates such as education, income, and insurance status. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2018 was used to observe the different rates of utilization among white, African American, Asian, Indigenous, Hispanic, and mixed-race women of various age groups. The utilization was also broken down into race and then further into education level, income level, and insurance status. A linear regression analysis was done to look at the correlation between race and insurance status, education, and income. The results showed that mammogram utilization among Black women 40 years old and older was 42.37%. Mammogram utilization was lower for those in poor, near-poor, and low-income categories, whereas Black women aged 65 and older those with Medicare and private insurance had the highest utilization. Pap smear utilization among Black women from ages 21 to 64 was 49.45%. The near-poor category had the lowest utilization of Pap smears. The results indicate that income and insurance status have a significant impact on the utilization of these preventative tests among minority women. However, further research must be done to better understand the policy implications of these barriers in order to increase utilization.