Cancer Medicine
Volume 7, Issue 8, 2018, Pages 4044-4067

Breast screening participation and retention among immigrants and nonimmigrants in British Columbia: A population-based study (Article) (Open Access)

Woods R.R.* , McGrail K.M. , Kliewer E.V. , Kazanjian A. , Mar C. , Kan L. , Sam J. , Spinelli J.J.
  • a School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • b School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • c Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
  • d School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • e Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • f Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • g Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • h School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Population Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Abstract

Breast cancer screening programs operate across Canada providing mammography to women in target age groups with the goal of reducing breast cancer mortality through early detection of tumors. Disparities in breast screening participation among socio-demographic groups, including immigrants, have been reported in Canada. Our objectives were to: (1) assess breast screening participation and retention among immigrant and nonimmigrant women in British Columbia (BC), Canada; and (2) to characterize factors associated with screening among screening-age recent immigrant women in BC. We examined 2 population-based cohorts of women eligible for breast screening participation (537 783 women) and retention (281 052 women) using linked health and immigration data. Breast screening rates were presented according to socio-demographic and health-related variables stratified by birth country. Factors associated with screening among recent immigrant women were explored using Poisson regression. We observed marked variation in screening participation across birth country cohorts. Eastern European/Central Asian women showed low participation (37.9%) with rates from individual countries ranging from 35.0% to 49.0%. Participation rates for immigrant women from the most common birth countries, such as China/Macau/Hong Kong/Taiwan (45.7%), India (44.5%), the Philippines (45.9%), and South Korea (39.0%), were lower than the nonimmigrant rates (51.2%). Retention rates showed less variation by birth country; however, some disparities between immigrant and nonimmigrant groups persisted. Associations between screening indicators and study factors varied considerably across immigrant groups. Primary care physician visits were consistently positively associated with screening participation; this variable was also the only predictor associated with screening within each of the groups of recent immigrants. Our study provides unique data on both screening participation and retention among Canadian immigrant women compiled by individual country of birth. Our results are further demonstration that screening disparities exist among immigrant populations as well as in comparison with nonimmigrant women. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Author Keywords

Primary care mammography immigrants Breast cancer equity Cancer screening

Index Keywords

Pakistan China South Korea immigrant Germany breast cancer India mass screening Population Surveillance human middle aged controlled study priority journal early cancer diagnosis Aged USSR cancer screening general practitioner Early Detection of Cancer Iran Taiwan United States Humans Breast Neoplasms migrant Mammography Japan Emigrants and Immigrants breast tumor Viet Nam female population research Canadian Article adult United Kingdom age distribution cohort analysis Hong Kong Macao Poisson distribution Central Asian Eastern European Philippines British Columbia health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050532451&doi=10.1002%2fcam4.1608&partnerID=40&md5=9e02644ceb225870aef07ec30e4859e5
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1608
ISSN: 20457634
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English