Breast screening navigator programs within three settings that assist underserved women

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Medically underserved women in Denver showed low rates of routine repeat mammograms in the late 1990s.
• Addressing these disparities is crucial for early cancer detection and improved health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase annual mammography rescreening adherence among medically underserved women in the Greater Denver Metropolitan Area.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally modified navigator model in improving screening rates.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year community-based study involving four organizations.
• Implementation of a culturally modified navigator model using face-to-face and telephone outreach.
• Targeted outreach to African Americans, Latinas, Native Americans, and poor White women who had not been rescreened in over 18 months.

Main Results:

• The navigator-implemented intervention demonstrated a statistically significant increase in mammography rescreening rates (p < 0.05).
• The culturally adapted approach effectively facilitated mammography access and adherence for diverse underserved populations.

Conclusions:

• Culturally tailored navigator programs are effective in increasing mammography adherence among medically underserved women.
• Community-based interventions can successfully address health disparities in cancer screening.