Effect of health care disparities on screening

Motivators and Barriers to HPV Vaccination: A Qualitative Study of Underserved Women Attending Planned Parenthood

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Disease-associated strains of HPV can cause genital warts and six cancer types. HPV-associated cervical cancer disproportionately impacts medically underserved women including Black and Latina women with respect to incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates. Although safe and effective vaccines are available, HPV vaccination rates remain low among low-income individuals and women of color. The current study examined individual and structural motivators and barriers to HPV vaccination among medically underserved women utilizing a Planned Parenthood health center in Southeast Pennsylvania. Guided by narrative engagement theory (NET), qualitative interviews (N = 24) were used to elicit HPV vaccine decision stories from both vaccinated and unvaccinated women. Using a phronetic iterative data analysis approach, we identified three motivators to vaccinate against HPV: (1) receiving an explicit vaccine recommendation from a healthcare provider (a structural determinant), (2) feeling empowered to take control of one’s health (an individual determinant), and (3) knowing someone infected with HPV (an individual determinant). Among unvaccinated participants, barriers to HPV vaccination included: (1) not receiving an explicit vaccine recommendation from a healthcare provider (a structural determinant), (2) low perceived risk for acquiring HPV or that HPV is not severe (an individual determinant), and (3) lack of maternal support to vaccinate (a structural determinant). Healthcare providers are optimally positioned to fill the gap in prior missed vaccine opportunities and empower women by recommending HPV vaccination.

Exploring the barriers to Pap smear test in Iranian women: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer in females. The Pap smear is one of the most essential ways of diagnosing and screening for this malignancy, and any failure can be caused by a number of causes. The current study sought to investigate barriers to Pap smear in Iranian women.

METHOD

This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in Iran in 2019. Data was gathered through focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews with 32 women and health professionals. The interviewees were chosen using a combination of purposive and theoretical sampling. The data was then analyzed using the content analysis approach developed by Graneheim and Lundman. Guba and Lincoln's criteria for establishing trustworthiness were explored.

RESULTS

Data analysis resulted in the identification of four primary categories, seventeen subcategories, and 186 original concepts. The main categories include weakness of health system, difficult accessibility, low health literacy, and socio-cultural factors.

CONCLUSION

By informing women about the necessity and importance of Pap smear, providing the conditions, facilities, and equipment to facilitate the testing process, and paying more attention to cultural and social factors in cervical cancer and Pap smear planning, interventions, and policies, barriers to Pap testing can be eliminated.

Social Inequalities in Use of Preventive Dental and Medical Services among Adults in European Countries

This study examined inequalities in dental check-ups and medical screenings using subjective and objective socioeconomic indicators. Data from 23,464 adults, aged 20 years old and over, who participated in a multi-national survey across Europe (Eurobarometer 72.3) were analysed. Participants’ socioeconomic position (SEP) was measured by education, difficulty in paying bills and subjective social status. Use of preventive services was measured by attendance for dental check-ups, cancer and cardiovascular screenings in the past 12 months. Socioeconomic inequalities were assessed in two-level logistic regression (adults nested within countries), adjusting for demographic factors and type of healthcare system. There were apparent social inequalities in using all three preventive services. However, only dental check-ups showed consistent and significant inequalities across all socioeconomic indicators with those in the bottom groups in education (odds ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.55), difficulty in paying bills (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.59–0.72) and subjective social status (OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.57–0.69) having lower odds of reporting dental check-ups in the past 12 months than those in the top groups. Cancer screening was not associated with difficulty in paying bills whereas cardiovascular disease screening was not associated with education and subjective social status. Despite the availability of universal health coverage, there were clear social gradients in using preventive services particularly across education and subjective social status groups. The stronger and more consistent gradients observed in dental check-ups compared to cancer and cardiovascular screening could be attributed to difference in the level of coverage of dental and medical services in Europe.

Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Infrequently Screened Women Completing Human Papillomavirus Self-Collection: My Body My Test-1

Background: Approximately one-half of cervical cancer cases in the United States occur in underscreened or never-screened women. We examined predictors to completing Papanicolaou (Pap) testing and whether a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection result affects Pap testing adherence among underscreened women. Materials and Methods: Low-income women aged 30-65 years who reported no Pap testing in ≥4 years were recruited in North Carolina. Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers regarding cervical cancer and Pap testing were assessed by telephone questionnaires. We mailed self-collection kits for HPV testing and provided information regarding where to obtain affordable Pap testing. Participants received $45 for completing all activities. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the predictors of longer reported time since last Pap (≥10 vs. 4-9 years) and of completion of Pap testing following study enrollment (follow-up Pap). Results: Participants (n = 230) were primarily black (55%), uninsured (64%), and with ≤high school education (59%). Cost and finding an affordable clinic were the most commonly reported barriers to screening. White women and those with ≤high school education reported longer intervals since last Pap test. Half of the participants reported completing a follow-up Pap test (55%). Women with a positive HPV self-collection were five times more likely to report completing a follow-up Pap test than those with negative self-collection (odds ratio = 5.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4-25.7). Conclusions: Improving awareness of resources for affordable screening could increase cervical cancer screening in underserved women. Home-based HPV self-collection represents an opportunity to re-engage infrequently screened women into preventive screening services.

Disparities and reverse disparities in HPV vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Studies disagree about whether racial and ethnic groups have lower or higher human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake, an important issue given large disparities in some HPV cancers. We sought to characterize and explain racial and ethnic differences in HPV vaccination. We systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science to identify US studies through mid-2017 reporting associations of race and ethnicity with HPV vaccination. We identified 118 studies (n = 3,095,486) published in English that reported HPV vaccine initiation or follow-through in the US from which we could calculate effect sizes. We used random effects meta-analysis to synthesize effect sizes for comparisons of Whites or non-Hispanics to Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, or all minority groups combined. Studies showed no racial or ethnic differences in HPV vaccine initiation overall. However, when restricting to studies using provider-verified vaccination data, minorities were 6.1% [3.3%-8.8%] more likely than Whites to initiate HPV vaccination. Advantages were larger for Hispanics, males, and younger samples (age < 18). In contrast, minorities were 8.6% [5.6%, 11.7%], less likely than Whites to follow-through with the full HPV vaccine series, a disparity present across all participant and study characteristics. More recent studies found larger advantages for racial and ethnic minorities in HPV vaccine initiation and smaller disparities in follow-through. In summary, high-quality studies found racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to initiate but less likely to follow-through with HPV vaccination, a clear finding that self-report studies obscure. Higher HPV vaccine initiation among minorities suggests potential reductions in HPV cancer disparities.

Well-woman Care Barriers and Facilitators of Low-income Women Obtaining Induced Abortion after the Affordable Care Act

OBJECTIVES

This study uses the abortion visit as an opportunity to identify women lacking well-woman care (WWC) and explores factors influencing their ability to obtain WWC after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured interviews with low-income women presenting for induced abortion who lacked a well-woman visit in more than 12 months or a regular health care provider. Dimensions explored included 1) pre-abortion experiences seeking WWC, 2) postabortion plans for obtaining WWC, and 3) perceived barriers and facilitators to obtaining WWC. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using ATLAS.ti.

RESULTS

Thirty-four women completed interviews; three-quarters were insured. Women described interacting psychosocial, interpersonal, and structural barriers hindering WWC use. Psychosocial barriers included negative health care experiences, low self-efficacy, and not prioritizing personal health. Women's caregiver roles were the primary interpersonal barrier. Most prominently, structural challenges, including insurance insecurity, disruptions in patient-provider relationships, and logistical issues, were significant barriers. Perceived facilitators included online insurance procurement, care integration, and social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite most being insured, participants encountered WWC barriers after implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Further work is needed to identify and engage women lacking preventive reproductive health care.

Health Volunteerism and Improved Cancer Health for Latina and African American Women and Their Social Networks: Potential Mechanisms

Health volunteerism has been associated with positive health outcomes for volunteers and the communities they serve. This work suggests that there may be an added value to providing underserved populations with information and skills to be agents of change. The current study is a first step toward testing this hypothesis. The purpose is to identify how volunteerism may result in improved cancer health among Latina and African American women volunteers. A purposive sample of 40 Latina and African American female adults who had participated in cancer volunteerism in the past 5 years was recruited by community advocates and flyers distributed throughout community venues in San Diego, CA. This qualitative study included semi-structured focus groups. Participants indicated that volunteerism not only improved their health but also the health of their family and friends. Such perceptions aligned with the high rates of self-report lifetime cancer screening rates among age-eligible patients (e.g., 83-93 % breast; 90-93 % cervical; 79-92 % colorectal). Identified mechanisms included exposure to evidence-based information, health-protective social norms and support, and pressure to be a healthy role model. Our findings suggest that train-the-trainer and volunteer-driven interventions may have unintended health-protective effects for participating staff, especially Latina and African American women.

Effect of patient navigator program on no-show rates at an academic referral colposcopy clinic

BACKGROUND

Patient navigators have been used successfully to guide vulnerable patients through barriers to cancer care and reduce disparities in cancer outcomes. This study evaluated the effect of a patient navigator program on no-show rates at a tertiary care referral colposcopy center and explored factors associated with missed appointments.

METHODS

No-show rates prior and subsequent to implementation of the intervention were compared by chi-square test. We compared patient demographic, lifestyle, and diagnostic characteristics between patients who had ever and never missed appointments. We described patient-reported barriers to care.

RESULTS

Of 4,199 women evaluated in our clinic from January 2006 to December 2013, 2,441 (58%) had at least one missed appointment. African American, Hispanic, and publicly insured women tended to miss appointments more frequently than did white and privately insured women (p<0.0001). Patients who missed appointments tended to have more abnormal cytology (p<0.0001), cervical pathology (p=0.007), and vulvar pathology (p=0.001). No-show rates declined from 49.7% to 29.5% after implementation of the patient navigator program (p<0.0001). We found that 45% of patient no-shows were anticipated or a result of patient misunderstanding and could be mediated with targeted education by the patient navigator.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient navigator programs at referral centers reduce no-show rates, thus improving patient follow-up, which may reduce disparities in cervical cancer screening and treatment.

Inequities in cervical cancer screening among Colombian women: a multilevel analysis of a nationwide survey

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors associated with whether women in Colombia have had a Pap test, evaluate differences in risk factors between rural and urban residence, and evaluate the contextual effect of the lack of education on having ever had a Pap test.

METHOD

Data used were from the 2010 Colombian National Demographic and Health Survey; 40,392 women reported whether they have had a Pap test. A multilevel mixed logistic regression model was developed with random intercepts to account for clustering by neighbourhood and municipality. The model evaluated whether having a rural/urban area of residence modified the effect of identified risk factors and if the prevalence of no education at the neighbourhood level acted as a contextual effect.

RESULTS

Most women (87.3%) reported having at least one Pap test. Women from lower socioeconomic quintiles (p=0.002), who were unemployed (p<0.001), and whose final health decisions depended on others (p<0.001) were less likely to have had a Pap test. Women with children were more likely to have had the test (p<0.001), and the effects of education (p=0.03), type of health insurance (p=0.01), age (p<0.001), and region (p<0.001) varied with having a rural/urban area of residence. Women living in rural areas (specifically younger ones, with no health insurance, living in the Atlantic and Amazon-Orinoquía regions, and with no education) were less likely to have had a Pap test when compared to those living in urban areas. Furthermore, women living in a neighbourhood with a higher prevalence of no education were less likely to have ever had a Pap test (p=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

In Colombia, the probability of having had a Pap test is associated with personal attributes, area of residence, and prevalence of no education in the neighbourhood. Efforts to improve access to cervical cancer screening should focus on disadvantaged women with limited education, low socioeconomic status, and no health insurance or subsidised insurance, especially those in rural/isolated areas.

Cancer screening among a population-based sample of insured women

Purpose

Screening has been shown to lower the morbidity and mortality for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. Despite the availability of cancer screening, nearly 70,000 women die each year from these cancers. We conducted a study in 2008 within a privately-insured patient population of women who were members of an integrated health care system in Southeastern Michigan, for whom information on ovarian cancer risk as well as personal and family history of cancer was available.

Methods

We used a population-based, weighted stratified random sample of women from a single health care institution to assess the proportion with up-to-date breast, cervical, and colorectal screening. Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify predictors of screening behavior.

Results

In our study, women reported cervical and breast cancer screening above 90% and colorectal cancer screening above 75%.

Conclusions

The results of our study hold promise that Healthy People 2020 cancer screening objectives might be obtainable as access to health insurance is expanded among US residents.

The process of engaging members from two underserved populations in the development of interventions to promote the uptake of the HPV vaccine

We describe a community-engaged research process used to develop multilevel interventions (caregivers, providers, system) to improve the uptake of human papillomavirus vaccine among adolescents by partnering with members from two underserved populations in Ohio. We began by conducting focus groups to better understand the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers and providers about the human papillomavirus vaccine and to develop teams of community members to assist with development of the interventions. The process continued with conducting writing sessions to determine the content and format of the interventions, and initial feedback was obtained during review sessions to refine the interventions prior to implementation. Using this approach, we were able to consider contextual factors that made the interventions more acceptable and relevant to members of the priority populations. Challenges included development and maintenance of a team of community members to participate in the entire intervention development process, rejection of ideas presented by academic researchers, the need to balance community members' suggestions with what was known from evidence-based research, and the time, cost, and effort associated with partnering with community members. The benefits, however, outweigh the challenges associated with using a community-engaged research process to develop interventions aimed at reducing cancer disparities among underserved populations.

Association of traffic-related hazardous air pollutants and cervical dysplasia in an urban multiethnic population: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause in the development of cervical cancer; however, not all women infected with HPV develop cervical cancer indicating that other risk factors are involved. Our objective was to determine the association between exposure to ambient levels of common traffic-related air toxics and cervical dysplasia, a precursor lesion for cervical cancer.

METHODS

The study sample consisted of women enrolled in a Phase II clinical trial to evaluate diagnostic techniques for cervical disease in Houston, Texas. The current assessment is a secondary data analysis in which cases were defined as women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia, while those without cervical dysplasia served as controls. Residential census tract-level estimates of ambient benzene, diesel particulate matter (DPM), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used to assess exposure. Census tract-level pollutant estimates were obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, and HPV status.

RESULTS

Women in the highest residential exposure categories for benzene and DPM had an increased prevalence of cervical dysplasia compared to the lowest exposure category (Benzene: aOR [95% CI] for high exposure = 1.97[1.07-3.62], very high exposure = 2.30[1.19-4.46]. DPM: aOR [95% CI] for high exposure = 2.83[1.55-5.16], very high exposure = 2.10[1.07-4.11]). Similarly, women with high residential exposure to PAHs had an increased prevalence of cervical dysplasia (aOR [95% CI] = 2.46[1.35-4.48]). The highest PAH exposure category was also positively associated with cervical dysplasia prevalence but was not statistically significant. Assessment of the combined effect of HAP exposure indicates that exposure to high levels of more than one HAP is positively associated with cervical dysplasia prevalence (p for trend = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Traffic-related HAPs, such as benzene, DPM, and PAHs, are not as well-regulated and monitored as criteria air pollutants (e.g., ozone), underscoring the need for studies evaluating the role of these toxicants on disease risk. Our results suggest that exposure to traffic-related air toxics may increase cervical dysplasia prevalence.

Racial disparities and changes in clinical characteristics and survival for vulvar cancer over time

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine changes over time in survival for African-American (AA) and white women diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

STUDY DESIGN

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program for 1973-2009 was used for this analysis. We evaluated racial differences in survival between AA and white women. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival methods were used to assess differences in survival by race by decade of diagnosis.

RESULTS

The study sample included 5867 women, including 5379 whites (91.6%) and 488 AA (8.3%). AA women were younger (57 vs 67 years; P < .001) and had a higher rate of distant metastasis (6.1% vs 3.7%; P < .001). AA women had surgery less frequently (84.2% vs 87.6%; P = .03) and more frequently radiotherapy (24.2% vs 20.6%; P < .001). AA women had a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.95) of all-cause mortality and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.53-0.82) of vulvar cancer mortality compared with whites. Adjusting for SEER Registry, marital status, stage, age, surgery, radiotherapy, grade, lymph node status, and decade, AA women had an HR of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53-0.84) of vulvar cancer-related mortality compared with whites. After adjusting for the same variables, there was a significant difference in survival between AA and whites in the periods of 1990-1999 (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.95) and 2000-2009 (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30-0.72) but not earlier.

CONCLUSION

AA presented at a significantly younger age compared with white women and had better survival compared with whites.

Patterns of consultation and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma presenting to a large academic medical center in the US

BACKGROUND

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often involves many subspecialist providers, as well as a broad range of treatment options. This study sought to evaluate referral and treatment patterns among patients with HCC at a large academic medical center.

METHODS

Data from our cancer registry between 2003-2011 were abstracted on 394 patients who were primarily diagnosed/treated for HCC at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH); data on patients who were diagnosed/treated with HCC elsewhere and who received secondary treatment at JHH (n = 391) were also abstracted for comparison purposes.

RESULTS

Among the main cohort, the most common specialties to be consulted were surgery (n = 225, 57.1%), gastroenterology (n = 225, 57.1%), and interventional radiologist (n = 206, 52.3%), while only 96 (24.4%) were referred to medical oncology. Factors associated with surgical consultation included younger age (odds ratio (OR) 3.35, 95% CI 1.62-6.92), tumor size <5 cm (OR 1.82, 1.09-3.02), and unilobar disease (OR 2.94, 1.31-6.59) (all P < 0.05). Patients initially diagnosed/treated elsewhere had larger tumors (4 vs. 6 cm), bilateral disease (19.2 vs. 26.8%), and were more likely to be seen by interventional radiology (all P < 0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Most patients were seen by surgeons, gastroenterologists, or interventional radiologists, with only a minority being seen by medical oncologists. Referral patterns depended on patient-level factors, as well as extent of disease.

Racial disparities in cervical cancer survival over time

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to examine changes over time in survival for African American (AA) and white women diagnosed with cervical cancer (CC).

METHODS

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data from 1985 to 2009 were used for this analysis. Racial differences in survival were evaluated between African American (AA) and white women. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival methods were used to assess differences in survival by race at 5-year intervals.

RESULTS

The study sample included 23,368 women, including 3886 (16.6%) who were AA and 19,482 (83.4%) who were white. AA women were older (51.4 versus 48.9 years; P<.001) and had a higher rate of regional (38.3% versus 31.8%; P<.001) and distant metastasis (10.7% versus 8.7%; P<.001). AA less frequently received cancer-directed surgery (32.4% versus 46%; P<.001), and more frequently radiotherapy (36.3% versus 26.4%; P<.001). Overall, AA women had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.41 (95% confidence interval=1.32-1.51) of cervical cancer (CC) mortality compared with whites. Adjusting for SEER registry, marital status, stage, age, treatment, grade, and histology, AA women had an HR of 1.13 (95% confidence interval=1.05-1.22) of CC-related mortality. After adjusting for the same variables, there was a significant difference in CC-specific mortality between 1985 to 1989 and 1990 to 1994, but not after 1995.

CONCLUSIONS

After adjusting for race, SEER registry, marital status, stage, age, treatment, grade, and histology, there was a significant difference in CC-specific mortality between 1985 to 1989 and 1990 to 1994, but not after 1995.