Predictors of cervical cancer screening for refugee women attending an international family medicine clinic in the United States.

Abstract

Cervical cancer screening (CCS) rates are lower for foreign-born women in the United States (U.S.)compared with the overall population. This study aimed to determine the CCS rate and predictors among refugees who were identified as female attending a family medicine clinic. A retrospective chart review included refugee individuals aged 21+, seen in the previous 3years (3/23/2015-3/20/2018), without hysterectomy (n = 525). Lab results determined CCS rate. Chi-square and logistic regression models explored predictors of CCS. Overall, 60.0% were up-to-date (UTD) on CCS. Individuals aged 30-49, married, and with [Formula: see text] 1 child had higher odds of being UTD. Ten or more years living in the U.S. was a significant bivariate predictor of CCS, and approached significance in the multivariate model. This study begins to fill gaps in knowledge about cervical cancer control among individuals who resettled in the U.S. as refugees and, given that CCS rates are suboptimal, informs clinical practice improvements and directions for future research.