ASPO Abstracts
Does neighborhood social cohesion influence participation in routine cancer screening? Findings from a representative sample of adults in South Florida.
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2022
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) has been associated with a variety of favorable health outcomes, but limited research has examined its impact on health behaviors that support cancer control. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between perceived NSC and utilization of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening in South Florida.Methods: From 2018 to 2019, a cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to a representative sample of 716 adults in four South Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe). NSC was measured utilizing a previously validated 5-item instrument with a scale from one to five, with higher scores reflecting greater cohesion. Adherence to US Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines was evaluated for age- and sex-eligible respondents with no cancer history. Associations between NSC and screening adherence were examined using weighted logistic regression models, with adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, including age, sex, race and ethnicity, household income, nativity, and insurance status. Results: Among screening-eligible respondents, 75.9% were up-to-date with mammography, 71.3% with receipt of a Pap smear, and 59.8% with colorectal cancer screening by blood stool sampling, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. The mean NSC score was 3.6 (SE=0.04). In fully adjusted analyses, the odds of adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines increased 2.8-fold (95% CI: 1.5-5.1) for every one-unit increase in NSC. Point estimates for ORs describing the association between NSC and cervical cancer screening suggested a negative association, but the results were not statistically significant (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.51 - 1.19). NSC was not statistically significantly associated with colorectal cancer screening.Conclusions: These data suggest that NSC supports some cancer screening behaviors, namely the timely receipt of mammography. In future studies, disaggregating the effect of NSC by sex, race, ethnicity, and other factors associated with inadequate preventive care may advance our understanding of the heterogeneous relationship between social cohesion and screening behaviors for different cancer sites.
Keywords: Screening, Neighborhood, Social Cohesion