Abstract 3570: Cervical cancer screening practices among Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworkers of Michigan

Abstract

Abstract Cervical cancer incidence among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States is highest among Hispanics. Previous studies have found that migrant and seasonal farmworkers have limited access to health care and may therefore be less likely to follow screening recommendations for early cervical cancer detection. The objective of this study was to describe Pap test utilization and identify barriers, attitudes and knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening among Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworkers served by Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc (NMHSI) in Shelby and Traverse City, Michigan. This cross-sectional study surveyed the patient population of NMHSI. A questionnaire addressing knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening was administered to 309 participants in NMHSI clinics or in participants’ residences. The Hispanic study population included 184 seasonal and 125 migrant farmworkers. Of all Hispanics surveyed (mean age 38.7), 94.2% had ever received a Pap test. Comparatively, 87.7% had received a Pap test recently (in the last two years for 21-29 year olds, in the last three years for those over 30) and 14.5% had an abnormal Pap test result in the last ten years. There was no significant difference between migrant and seasonal farmworkers in terms of ever having had a Pap test or having had a recent Pap test (p-value 0.88 for both comparisons). Consistent with these findings, participants reported that they understood the benefits of and experienced few barriers to getting Pap tests. These findings suggest that migrant farmworkers may not experience more difficulty in receiving Pap tests than seasonal farmworkers in Michigan. Farmworkers in general recognize the importance of receiving Pap tests even though both groups of women have low levels of acculturation. Furthermore, findings suggest that recent efforts to increase cervical cancer screening have been effective. While cervical cancer screening rates are high, knowledge is low and this continuing research will aid in identifying specific gaps in cervical cancer screening knowledge and attitudes to address in future interventions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3570. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3570