Breast Cancer Screening among Employed American Women

From the 1990 National Health Interview Survey Health Promotion and Disease Prevention supplement, the authors estimated the 1990 baseline prevalence of breast cancer screening among employed U.S. women aged 50-70 years. Proportions of women screened for breast cancer were calculated by occupational category and demographic characteristics, and were compared with the Healthy People 2000 objective that 60% of women aged 50 and older have had mammography and a clinical breast examination within the preceding two years. The objective was exceeded for white-collar workers (61.8%) and workers with some college (64.1%), but was not met by any blue-collar/service workers (40.8%); or any workers with only a high school diploma (54.7%) or less than a high school diploma (38.5%). Identification of occupational categories and demographic subgroups among working women will be helpful to those planning breast cancer screening programs, in both the public and the private sectors.