Abstract C094: Social support and Pap test uptake among sub-Saharan African immigrant women in the United States

Abstract

Abstract Background: Sub-Saharan African immigrant (SSAI) women in the United States suffer cervical cancer screening disparities despite known benefits of cervical cancer screening. The disparity in uptake of cervical cancer screening among this group is concerning given that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest estimated rates of cervical cancer globally. Without routine screening, SSAI women may miss the opportunity for early detection contributing to later stage diagnosis and mortality. Immigrants’ adaptation to a new environment and navigating through the complexities of the healthcare to promote preventive health utilization is enhanced by social support. Specifically, a growing body of evidence suggests that social support influences cancer screening behaviors. Understanding the relationship between social support and Pap screening behaviors can provide important insights into designing appropriate culturally relevant interventions to promote and facilitate Pap screening use among SSAI women. Methods: For this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study conducted with 107 English speaking SSAI women aged 21 and above. Using purposive and snowball sampling, participants were recruited from Central Kentucky between October 2016 and January 2017. Participants completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, Pap screening history, and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine associations between Pap screening and each of the four MOS social support subscales (emotional, tangible, affection, and positive interaction) and the overall social support index. Results: Among the 107 women, the Pap screening test uptake was 65.7%, History of Pap screening was significantly associated with the affection (F < sub > 1,106 < /sub > = 6.64, P= 0.011) and positive social interactions subscales (F < sub > 1,106 < /sub > = 5.50, P= 0.021), and overall social support (F < sub > 1,106 < /sub> = 3.94, p=0.050). Compared to women who had not had Pap screening, those who had been screened experienced greater support through affection (M = 12.6: SD = 3.0 vs. M = 10.8: SD = 3.9, respectively) and positive interactions (M =12.2: SD =2.9 vs. M = 10.9: SD = 3.8, respectively) as well as greater overall social support (M= 66.8; SD =16.7 vs. M=73.1; SD=15.0, respectively). Conclusions: The finding that SSAI women who had a history of Pap screening had greater overall support compared to SSAI women who had not had screening suggests that interventions that increase social support might improve cervical cancer screening uptake in this population. At the same time, improved understanding of the influences of the various subtypes of social support on screening uptake is needed to better guide intervention development. Citation Format: Adebola Adegboyega, Adaeze Aroh, Gia Mudd-Martin. Social support and Pap test uptake among sub-Saharan African immigrant women in the United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C094.