Only approximately 65% of women aged 50 to 74 years with at least 3 health-related social needs have received up-to-date mammograms, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs study.
Takeaways
- Health-related social needs, such as transportation access and financial constraints, significantly impact mammogram uptake among women aged 50 to 74 years.
- The CDC's Vital Signs study found that only approximately 65% of women in this age group with at least 3 health-related social needs have received up-to-date mammograms.
- Barriers to mammogram access include cost of healthcare, dissatisfaction with life, social isolation, reduced work hours, and unreliable transportation.
- Women with low incomes, lack of health insurance, and no usual source of healthcare are at higher risk of not receiving regular mammograms.
- Clinicians play a pivotal role in addressing these barriers by assessing health-related social needs and ensuring women have access to necessary services for breast cancer screening.
Over 40,000 deaths in the United States are attributed to breast cancer per year, but the risk of breast cancer mortality may be reduced by screening mammograms. Patients may face adverse social conditions that act as barriers to their health or health care, referred to as health-related social needs.
Examples of health-related social needs include lack of reliable transportation access and food insecurity. These may also be addressed as social determinants of health.
The Vital Signs study utilized data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and found an association between an increased number of health-related social needs and decreased odds of receiving a mammogram. This indicated a need for clinicians to help remove barriers women face for accessing mammograms.
Among women who did not receive a mammogram in the past 2 years, the cost of health care access was reported as the most significant barrier. Other difficulties included dissatisfaction with life, feelings of social isolation, lost or reduced hours at work, and a lack of reliable transportation.
The odds of receiving a mammogram were also reduced among women with low incomes, no health insurance, and lacking a usual source of health care. Women aged 50 to 74 years should receive a screening mammogram every 2 years, according to the US Preventive Services Task Force.
Additionally, women aged 40 to 49 years should speak with their health care providers about mammogram initiation and frequency. Patients with low incomes or without insurance can receive free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening through the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
“If we are to achieve higher breast cancer screening for all women, we have to look at all the possible challenges women face in getting mammograms,” said Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “Health care providers can now assess whether women have health-related social needs and help women get the services they need.”
Reference
Cost and access are not the only barriers women face in getting lifesaving mammograms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 9, 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0409-vs-mammography.html?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_1_3-DM126371&ACSTrackingLabel=CDC%20Newsroom%3A%20Week%20In%20Review%20-%2004%2F12%2F2024&deliveryName=USCDC_1_3-DM126371
