Identifying Factors Associated with Cancer Screening in Immigrant Populations Living in New York City

New York City rates for cancer screening with colonoscopy, Papanicolaou smear and mammography are higher than the rest of the nation yet immigrant populations still have barriers accessing healthcare. With 38% of the city identifying as foreign born, there is a growing need to understand immigrant health and cancer screening behaviors to better assist them in accessing care. Through the Hepatitis Outreach Network (HONE), almost 1300 consenting participants completed a questionnaire on their demographics, hepatitis risk factors, and cancer screening behaviors as well as accessed Hepatitis B Virus screening from 2013 to 2015. Using the information gathered from the completed surveys and the data analysis in 2016, age and English language proficiency had significant association to accessing cancer screening using the three noted methods. Overall, cancer screening rates were lower for the African born (54%), Asian born (23.9%) and US born (22%) participants than those of the rest of New York. English language proficiency appeared to be a barrier for some screening methods such as colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy, and cervical cancer with Papanicolaou smear but not mammography. Immigrant health is a fundamental part of the public health field and so further investigation into disparities associated with other cancer screening methods is a necessity. An increase in culturally sensitive, language and age-specific health education programs may also improve cancer screening rates for immigrant populations in the city.