Identifying Frequently Endorsed Benefits and Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening for African-Born Women in the NYC Metropolitan Area: a Pilot Study

Most cancer screening data report on Black participants without distinguishing nativity, limiting our understanding of the needs of distinct groups within the African diaspora. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess demographic characteristics and perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to mammography among African immigrant women in New York City (NYC). Forty-two women who were 40 years or older, born in Africa, and English and/or French-speaking were recruited from African immigrant communities in NYC to complete a survey. Eighty percent of our sample aged 50 to 73 was adherent to the 2016 USPSTF mammography screening guideline. The most frequently endorsed benefits were that mammography will help find breast cancer early, could help find a breast lump before it is big enough to feel, and that if found early, breast cancer could be successfully treated. The most endorsed barriers were that having a mammogram is painful and that lack of insurance or being treated rudely at the mammogram center would keep participants from having a mammogram. Chi-square analyses assessed relationships between demographic characteristics and perceptions about mammography and revealed that endorsement of barriers to screening (e.g., health issues, transportation problems, pain, and time associated with mammography) varied by educational attainment. Findings suggest that future interventions should be multi-level and (1) support patients in accessing screening via resource sharing, (2) address other commonly cited barriers such as fear of pain during the procedure, and (3) support anti-racist healthcare environments especially in terms of treatment by providers.