Mammography screening beliefs and barriers through the lens of Black women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Mammography is an effective screening tool that leads to decreased breast cancer mortality, yet minority women continue to experience barriers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been proven to have negatively affected minority communities, yet its effect on mammography screening habits in Black women is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate breast cancer mammography screening habits and barriers for Black women in two northeast communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study participants were Black women aged 40 years or older who were recruited from community outreach initiatives. Study coordinators conducted telephone surveys to determine mammography screening behaviors, perceptions, and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-seven surveys were completed. Two hundred fifty-six patients who reported ever having a mammogram became the study population of interest. One hundred seventy-four of these patients (68%) reported having a mammogram within the past year (nondelayed), and 82 (32%) had a mammogram more than a year ago (delayed). Only thirty-one of the delayed participants (37.8%) had private insurance. There was a significant difference in the mean score for mammography screening perceived barriers for nondelayed participants (mean = 9.9, standard deviation [SD] = 3.6) versus delayed participants (mean = 11.2, SD = 4.3, p = .03). There was also a significant difference in the mean score when they were asked, "How likely is it that 'other health problems would keep you from having a mammogram'?" (p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to mammography screening for Black women during the COVID-19 era include insurance, competing health issues, and perceptions of screening. Community outreach efforts should concentrate on building trust and collaborating with organizations to improve screening despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

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.