Sister, Give Me Your Hand: a Qualitative Focus Group Study on Beliefs and Barriers to Mammography Screening in Black Women During the COVID-19 Era

• Published in: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities 2023-06, Vol.10 (3), p.1466-1477
• Main Authors: Bea, Vivian J., Jerome-D’Emilia, Bonnie, Antoine, Francesse, Wiggins, Plyshette, Hyman, Diane, Robles-Rodriguez, Evelyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; Age; Barriers; Black people; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Cancer screening; Codes; Community; COVID-19; Early Detection of Cancer; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; Female; Focus Groups; Gift cards & certificates; Health care; Health disparities; Health insurance; Humans; Mammography; Mass Screening; Medical screening; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Mixed methods research; Mortality; Pandemics; Participation; Poverty; Qualitative research; Quality of Life Research; Social Inequality; Social Structure; Socioeconomic factors; Trust; Uninsured people; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 2197-3792; 2196-8837
• DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01332-4

Aims/Purpose To evaluate current day challenges and beliefs about breast cancer screening for Black women in two diverse northeast communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Background Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the USA. Although Black women are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, they suffer a higher mortality. Early detection of breast cancer can be accomplished through routine screening mammography, yet the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mammography screening barriers and perception in minority communities is uncertain. Methods Five focus group interviews were conducted as the first phase of a mixed method study across two heterogeneously diverse locations, Camden, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York. Results Thirty-three women participated in this study; sixteen women were recruited at the New Jersey location and seventeen at the New York location. Only two thirds of the women stated that they had received a mammogram within the last 2 years. The major themes were binary: I get screened or I do not get screened. Subthemes were categorized as patient related or system related. Conclusions Our findings on factors that affect breast cancer screening decisions during the COVID-19 era include barriers that are related to poverty and insurance status, as well as those that are related to medical mistrust and negative healthcare experiences. Community outreach efforts should concentrate on building trust, providing equitable digital access, and skillfully addressing breast health perceptions.