American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 200, Issue 1 , Pages 40.e1-40.e7, January 2009

Ending cervical cancer screening: attitudes and beliefs from ethnically diverse older women

  • George F. Sawaya, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • A. Yuri Iwaoka-Scott, MA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Sue Kim, PhD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Sabrina T. Wong, PhD, RN

      Affiliations

    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • University of British Columbia School of Nursing and Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada
    • ,
  • Alison J. Huang, MD, MPhil

      Affiliations

    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • A. Eugene Washington, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD

      Affiliations

    • Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints: Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD, 3333 California St, Suite 335, San Francisco, CA 94134-0856

Received 5 December 2007; received in revised form 28 April 2008; accepted 7 July 2008. published online 03 November 2008.

Objective

Guidelines support ending cervical cancer screening in women aged 65-70 years and older with previous normal testing, but little is known about older women's attitudes and beliefs about ending screening.

Study Design

We conducted face-to-face interviews with 199 women aged 65 and older in English, Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin.

Results

Most interviewees were nonwhite (44.7% Asian, 18.1% Latina, and 11.6% African American). Most (68%) thought lifelong screening was either important or very important, a belief held more strongly by African American (77%) and Latina (83%) women compared with women in other ethnic groups (P < .01). Most (77%) had no plans to discontinue screening or had ever thought of discontinuing (69%). When asked if they would end screening if recommended by their physician, 68% responded “yes.”

Conclusion

The majority of these women believe that lifelong cervical cancer screening is important. Many women, however, reported that they would end screening if recommended by their physician.

Key words: cervix cancer screening, older women, screening cessation

 

 Cite this article as: Sawaya GF, Yuri Iwaoka-Scott A, Kim S, et al. Ending cervical cancer screening: attitudes and beliefs from ethnically diverse older women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;200:40.e1-40.e7.

 This study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (5P01 HS10856) for an Excellence Center to Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED); by Grant P30-AG15272 under the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research program by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health; and by Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Network Grant U01-CA86117 from the National Cancer Institute. Dr Wong was supported by a NIA Diversity Supplement (PA-01-079), a Michael Smith Scholar Award (CI-SCH-051), and a CIHR New Investigator award. Dr Huang's research efforts were further supported by Grant KL2RR024130 from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health.

PII: S0002-9378(08)00798-9

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2008.07.015

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 200, Issue 1 , Pages 40.e1-40.e7, January 2009