Association between CBE, FOBT, and Pap smear adherence and mammography adherence among older low-income women

Background Adherence to regular and timely mammography screening, especially in older low-income women, continues to fall below objectives. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether engaging in other cancer screenings was associated with mammography adherence for older women. Method Women, ages 52 and over, without a self-reported history of breast cancer (N = 862) were selected from a larger sample of women residing in Washington, DC, census tracts with ≥30% of households below 200% of the federal poverty threshold. A computer-assisted telephone survey was used to collect data on health care system factors, demographics, cultural beliefs, clinical breast exam (CBE), Pap smear, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), and mammography. Adherence was defined as receipt of the last two screening tests within recommended intervals for age. Results After controlling for other variables, adherence to CBE (OR = 4.15; 95% CI, 2.55–6.73) and Pap smear (OR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.07–3.12) were highly predictive of mammography adherence. Adherence to FOBT (OR = 1.66; 95% CI, 0.97–2.84) was marginally predictive. Conclusions Results of this study indicate that nonadherence to other cancer screenings can help identify women in need of additional interventions to improve mammography adherence.