Cancer screening among older women in a culturally insular community

Background. “Culturally insular communities” are defined by a religious or ethnic orientation that effectively places them outside mainstream sources of information on health promotion. We investigated whether older women in one such community were less likely to be screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer than other women in the same geographic area. Methods. A random sample of older orthodox Jewish women in Borough Park, Brooklyn, was compared to white women of the same age in the New York metropolitan area who were surveyed in the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS). Results. Borough Park women aged 50–69 were less likely to report they had been screened for colorectal cancer, and women over age 70 were less likely to report screening for all three cancer prevention modalities. Among Borough Park women, functional and cognitive deficits, elicited by self-report, also reduced the likelihood of screening. Conclusions. Cultural and religious prescriptions are important to consider in health promotion. These factors should be taken into account in designing strategies to promote cancer screening.