Introduction: Cancer is an enormous public health challenge in the United States and around the world. Early detection through screening can identify cancer when it is most treatable and can result in greater survival rates; however, racial and ethnic disparities in breast and cervical screening result in late diagnosis and a higher risk of poor outcomes and death for women of color.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine barriers that a diverse sample of women in Rhode Island face related to breast and cervical cancer screening, as well as motivators that encourage women to obtain screening services.
Design and methods: Women, most of whom self-identified as Black or Hispanic, who were aged 40 years and older, were recruited to participate in focus groups via Zoom. The main topics of the discussions included thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and prior experiences with screening.
Results: Forty-seven women from Rhode Island participated in a total of six focus groups. The following themes emerged: (1) fear, lack of knowledge, cultural beliefs, and the role of women as caretakers are personal barriers; (2) communication challenges, a shortage of primary care providers and negative health experiences are system barriers; and (3) family history of cancer, encouragement from providers, and clinic reminders are motivators that encourage women to get screened.
Conclusions: Results suggest that communities must focus on eliminating barriers, promoting motivators, and expanding access to supportive screening services to reduce the number of cases and deaths due to breast and cervical cancer.
Keywords: breast cancer; cervical cancer; community intervention; disparities; screening.
© 2023 American Cancer Society.