Obesity not a factor in racial/ethnic variation in cancer screening compliance

The higher rate of cancer-related deaths among racial minorities has often been attributed to disparities in cancer screening compliance, however, a new study did not find that the association between body weight/obesity, in particular, and cancer screening adherence vary by race/ethnicity. The results of this focused look at one particular factor, body mass index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, suggests that some screening disparities may be decreasing, as reported in the study published in Journal of Women's Health.

In "Racial/Ethnic Differences Affecting Adherence to Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Women", a team of researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, found no notable variation between racial/ethnic groups among a national sample of women classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese and their likelihood to adhere to cancer screening guidelines regarding Pap testing and mammography. One significant finding related to BMI showed that overweight black women were less likely to receive a Pap test than black women who were underweight or normal weight.

Jacqueline Hirth, PhD, MPH, Tabassum Haque Laz, MBBS, PhD, Mahbubur Rahman, MBBS, PhD, MPH, and Abbey Berenson, MD, PhD, identified age, insurance coverage, and income as factors associated with disparities in cancer screening compliance among racial/ethnic groups in the national sample of women included in the study.

"This study adds to our understanding of variations in compliance with cancer screening guidelines among racial/ethnic groups," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA, and President of the Academy of Women's Health.