Abstract
ObjectivesThis study aims to compare breast cancer screening (BCS) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) practices of French women born to French parents with those of immigrants and nationals born to immigrants, taking their socioeconomic status into account.MethodsThe study is based on data collected in 2010 in the Paris metropolitan area among a representative sample of 3000 French-speaking adults. For women with no history of breast or cervical cancer, multivariate logistic regressions and structural equation models were used to investigate the factors associated with never having undergone BCS or CCS.ResultsWe confirmed the existence of a strong gradient, with respect to migration origin, for delaying or never having undergone BCS or CCS. Thus, being a foreign immigrant or being French of immigrant parentage were risk factors for delayed and no lifetime screening. Interestingly, we found that this gradient persisted (at least partially) after adjusting for the women’s socioeconomic characteristics. Only the level of income seemed to play a mediating role, but only partially. We observed differences between BCS and CCS which suggest that organized CCS could be effective in reducing socioeconomic and/or ethnic inequities.ConclusionSocioeconomic status partially explained the screening nonparticipation on the part of French women of immigrant origin and foreign immigrants. This was more so the case with CCS than with BCS, which suggests that organized prevention programs might reduce social inequalities.
Highlights
In France, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with an incidence of 53,000 new cases in 2011, and cervical cancer ranks twelfth, with 2810 new cases in that year
Since available data on immigration are usually scarce in French health surveys and information systems, CCS is the only type of female cancer screening that has been studied in this connection [4], and no study has ever compared access to breast cancer screening with that to cervical cancer screening on the basis of immigration status in France
The objectives of our study were to determine the prevalence of delayed and no lifetime screening among French women of immigrant origin and among foreign immigrants, and to estimate and compare the associations between immigration status and either delayed or no lifetime Breast cancer screening (BCS) or delayed or no lifetime CCS among women living in the Paris metropolitan area
Summary
In France, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with an incidence of 53,000 new cases in 2011, and cervical cancer ranks twelfth, with 2810 new cases in that year. In this country, screening tests are recommended for these two female cancers. Since available data on immigration are usually scarce in French health surveys and information systems, CCS is the only type of female cancer screening that has been studied in this connection [4], and no study has ever compared access to breast cancer screening with that to cervical cancer screening on the basis of immigration status in France. We sought to test how women’s socioeconomic status (SES) could have a mediating effect on the association between their immigration status and their screening practices
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