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Trends in Cancer Screening by Citizenship and Health Insurance, 2000–2010

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Abstract

While early detection through screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer is essential in improving cancer survival, it is not evenly utilized across class, race, ethnicity, or nativity. Given that utilization of early detection through screenings is not evenly distributed, immigrants who have much lower rates of health insurance coverage are at a disadvantage. We use National Health Interview Survey data linked with the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey to examine the trend in screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer from 2000 to 2010, comparing U.S.-born natives, foreign-born citizens, and foreign-born non-citizens. We find that citizenship is clearly advantageous for the foreign-born, and that screening rates are higher among citizens compared to non-citizens overall, but uninsured non-citizens sometimes have higher screening rates that uninsured natives. Health insurance is pivotal for higher screening rates with clear differences among the insured and uninsured. Policies aimed at reducing disparities in cancer screening need to take into account nativity, citizenship, and access to health insurance.

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Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE1255832 and an infrastructure grant to the Population Research Institute at Pennsylvania State University by the National Institutes of Health (2R24HD041025-11). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The authors would also like to acknowledge funding from Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Social Science Research Institute, and Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Adriana M Reyes

  2. Department of Health Policy and Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, 604 Ford Building, University Park, 16802, PA, USA

    Patricia Y Miranda

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  1. Adriana M Reyes
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  2. Patricia Y Miranda
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Correspondence to Patricia Y Miranda.

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Reyes, A.M., Miranda, P.Y. Trends in Cancer Screening by Citizenship and Health Insurance, 2000–2010. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 644–651 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0091-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0091-y

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