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Primary Submission Category: Reproductive health

Stakeholder Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Breast and Cervical Screening among Hispanic women in Indiana

Authors:  Mrithula Suresh Babu, Layla Claure, Maria Isabel Viteri Suarez, Natalia M. Rodriguez,

Presenting Author: Mrithula Suresh Babu*

Introduction – Disparities in incidence and mortality rates of women’s cancers persist among medically underserved and minority populations in the United States. Hispanic/Latina women are less likely to have routine breast and cervical cancer screening. The level of acculturation plays a major role in screening and treatment adherence among Hispanic/Latina women.

Methods – Stakeholders from community-based organizations such as Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and Latino Center for Wellness and Education (LCWE) were recruited using snowball sampling. In-depth interviews with fourteen stakeholders were carried out to understand the stakeholders’ knowledge of breast and cervical cancer, and their perspective on barriers and facilitators to breast and cervical cancer screening. The interviews were coded using NVivo and key themes were identified using the thematic analysis approach.

Results – The main themes identified from this study include 1) discrepancy in the focus on women’s cancers, 2) insurance coverage as a factor, 3) motivators for Hispanic/Latina women to avail screening exams, 4) steps taken by Hispanic/Latina women to address illness and 5) preferred forms of health communication.

Conclusion – Breast cancer campaigns and initiatives gain a lot more attention when compared to cervical cancer and additionally there are a number of barriers to avail screening exams. Study findings can be used to develop interventions to improve access to breast and cervical screening, thereby improving screening rates among Hispanic/Latina women in Indiana.