Health Care Access, Utilization, and Cancer Screening Among Low-Income Latina Women

Introduction: Cancer screening reduces mortality rates for breast, cervical, and colon cancer. Yet cancer screening rates for Latina women are lower than for non-Latino Whites, and below Healthy People 2020 goals. Additionally, Latinos face many health care access barriers. This study examined health care access and utilization in relation to cancer screening among low-income Latina women recruited from a high-risk area and enrolled in a navigation-plus-education intervention. Methods: Latina women considered rarely or never screened for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer were recruited from community-based organizations and events (N = 691). We gathered self-reported survey data on insurance status, usual source of care, health care utilization, and cancer screening behavior. We conducted multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios of receipt of at least one cancer screening test. Results: Overall, 28% of women received at least one cancer screening test. Results indicated that women without insurance (odds ratio [OR] = 2.08; confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 3.98) and without a doctor’s visit in the past year (OR = 2.02; CI = 1.28, 3.18), compared with their counterparts, had greater odds of receiving at least one screening test. Conclusion: Findings highlight the continued need to explore ways to support uninsured individuals’ screening efforts and further investigate barriers among insured women who are not up-to-date with screenings.