Cancer is the leading cause of death among Korean Americans. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Korean American women. Regular breast cancer screening has been demonstrated to reduce breast cancer mortality by up to 30%. However, many Korean American women are not aware of the importance of regular screening. The purpose of this study is to estimate the rate of regular breast cancer screening and to examine the correlates of regular screening. This study employs cross-sectional, face-to-face interviews with a random sample of 459 Korean American women age 40 and older in Maryland. About 33% had a regular mammography and 38% had a regular clinical breast exam (CBE). Age was strongly associated with regular breast cancer screening: Older women were less likely to have regular breast cancer screening than younger women. In multiple logistic regression analyses, spoken English proficiency, having a regular source of health care, and physician's recommendation were associated with regular use of mammography and CBE. In addition, education and the proportion of life spent in the U.S. were associated with having a regular CBE: Those women with regular CBE were more likely to have higher education and to have higher proportion of life spent in the U.S. These results indicate that having a regular source of care and physician's recommendation for screening are also important in this population. For strategies to increase regular breast cancer screening among Korean American women, we need to aim at developing culturally relevant educational programs for less acculturated immigrants.
Learning Objectives: To identify the correlates of regular breast cancer screening in underserved population
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Mammography Screening
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