Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109107

Lee Kallenbach, MPH, PhD¹, Rosalie F. Young, MA, PhD¹, John B. Waller, DrPH², and Julie H. Young, MS³. (1) School of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Wayne State University, 4201 St. Antoine, University Health Center, Detroit, MI 48201, 313-577-6679, lkallenb@med.wayne.edu, (2) Community Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4201 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48201, (3) Community Medicine, Wayne State University, 4201 St. Antoine, University Health Center, Detroit, MI 48201

Background: Communities differ in prevalence and mortality of late stage breast cancer. Reasons are not clear but epidemiological factors may include the structure of health care and characteristics of women who live in the communities. Purpose: To determine behavioral, medical care, and structural factors that influence use of cancer preventive services for early detection of breast cancer. Method: A cross sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of women who lived in a community with high risk for late stage detection of breast cancer. The local SEER registry identified the community and randomly selected households with a female in residence were sampled. Subjects: 320 African American women, age 21+. Analysis: Descriptive analyses were performed. Factors associated with recent mammography were determined. A model building test was conducted to determine multiple factors that could account for breast cancer screening. Results: Characteristics of the African American females were: mean age 45.7, 23% HS graduates, 88.9% insured, and 60% with a recent mammogram. Age appropriate mammography was associated with subject age, education, insurance, breast cancer knowledge, recent medical care, trust in the health care system, recommendation by a physician and cancer fears. The breast cancer screening model indicated several predictors of cancer preventive care. Conclusions: To understand the epidemiology of breast cancer it is necessary to include patient, health system factors and understand their impact in specific communities. African American women who live in high risk areas for breast cancer mortality have specific characteristics that may contribute to individual risk.

Learning Objectives:

• The audience will learn how to characterize African American women who live in areas with high risk for breast cancer, with regard to their demographic, psychosocial, cancer risk behavior profiles.
• Participants will learn how a barriers model to cancer prevention service which includes behavioral, medical provider, and health system barriers, can be applied to cancer screening.
• They will recognize the multi-disciplinary factors that facilitate or impede cancer prevention behavior (age appropriate mammography).

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.