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BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Florida, responsible for nearly 30% of all cancer cases among women. Routine mammograms are the best method to detect breast cancer at earlier stages when chances of survival are higher. The Florida Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program is working to increase screening rates among women ages 50-64. The objective of this study was to examine breast cancer screening rates and health care insurance coverage among women in Florida.
METHODS: Self-reported data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to obtain the prevalence of mammography and health care coverage for women ages 50-64 years. Data analysis and descriptive statistics were computed using SAS 9.4. GIS technology was used for all cartographic mapping.
RESULTS: In 2013, approximately 1.2 million Florida women ages 50-64 years (57.0%) had received a mammogram in the past year. Screening rates were significantly lower among women who reported a household income of $25,000 to $35,000 (48.8%) than women reporting income greater than $50,000 (64.6%). Among women who had some form of health care coverage, more than one third (36.6%) had not received a mammogram in the past year. The prevalence of women with health care coverage who had not received a mammogram in the past year differed significantly by race/ethnicity, with Hispanic women (25.3%) having a significantly lower prevalence than non-Hispanic white women (38.9%). Women without health coverage were statistically more likely (OR: 4.95, 95% CI: 4.23, 5.80) to not have had a mammogram within the last year.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of routine mammograms differs among women in Florida by income and health care coverage. Many state and national prevention efforts focus solely on providing services to women with no health care coverage, as these women have less access and are less likely to receive routine screenings. However, this study found that not all women with health care coverage are taking advantage of routine screenings. Additional prevention efforts targeting women with health care coverage could help increase screening rates and improve early detection of breast cancer in the state of Florida.