Rural-Urban Disparities in Access to Breast Cancer Screening: A Spatial Clustering Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Geographic Information Systems
• Cancer Epidemiology

Background:

• Access to timely breast cancer screening is crucial for early detection and improved patient outcomes.
• Geographic disparities in healthcare access can disproportionately affect rural populations.
• Understanding spatial patterns of screening access and diagnosis is vital for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate rural-urban differences in breast cancer screening access.
• To analyze geographic disparities in late-stage breast cancer diagnosis rates.
• To identify spatial clusters of screening access and diagnosis in a Midwestern state.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pooled cross-sectional data (2008-2012).
• Hot spot analyses of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis rates at the census tract level.
• Spatial analysis of mammography facility access (distance) and screening rates.

Main Results:

• Urban areas showed shorter distances to mammography centers, higher screening rates, and lower late-stage diagnosis rates.
• Rural areas exhibited greater distances to mammography centers and higher rates of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
• Significant spatial clustering of disparities was identified.

Conclusions:

• Geographic disparities in breast cancer screening access persist between rural and urban populations.
• Rural women face significant barriers to accessing timely breast cancer screening.
• Interventions must be specifically tailored to address the unique access challenges faced by rural populations.