NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2012
Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Survey Examines Mammogram Screening Prevalence among Area Women
PHILADELPHIA—To commemorate October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Community Health Data Base (CHDB) released data on women 40 years of age or older who have never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer. The data used in the analysis came from PHMC’s CHDB 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. Researchers found that in Southeastern Pennsylvania 6.4% of women 40 years of age or older had never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer. This percentage represents more than 68,000 women in the region. The analysis also highlights socio-economic differences among women never screened. Additionally, the survey found that many women who were never screened are also disconnected from the healthcare system at large
In the United States, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2012, an estimated 226,900 new cases of female breast cancer will be diagnosed and 39,500 women’s lives are expected to be claimed by this disease.* CHDB staff examined the findings of the 2010 Household Health Survey to better understand the demographic, socio-economic and access-to-care disparities among women 40 or older who had never received a mammogram screening.
Across the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region, the percentages of women who never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer include: 7.5% in Philadelphia County, 6.4% in Delaware County, 6.3% in Bucks County, 5.3% in Montgomery County, and 4.9% in Chester County.
Demographic and Socio-economic Characteristics
• In general, as the level of educational attainment increases, the percentage of women who never received a mammogram screening decreases: 8.1% of women with less than a high school diploma; 7.1% of women with a high school diploma; 7.4% of women with some college education; 5.6% of women with a college degree; and 3.6% of women with a post-graduate degree never received a mammogram.
• Women living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level** (11.0%) are more than twice as likely as women living at or above that level (5.2%) to have never received a mammogram screening.
• Approximately one in 13 black women (7.8%) and one in 14 Latina women (7.1%) never received a mammogram screening, followed by 5.7% of white women.
Access to Care Characteristics
• In Southeastern Pennsylvania, women without a regular source of health care (14.7%) are more than twice as likely as women with a regular source of health care (5.9%) to have never received a mammogram screening.
• Among women 40-64 years of age, those who are uninsured (18.3%) are more than three times as likely as those who are insured (5.7%) to have never received a mammogram screening.
For more information about the study findings, contact Nicole Dreisbach at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey collects information, including cancer screenings among many critical topics, from a random landline and cell phone telephone survey conducted with 10,000 households in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
*American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. Atlanta: American Cancer Society;2012. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf. Accessed 9/17/2012.
**Poverty level is calculated based on family size and income. For example, a family of four with an annual income of less than $33,075 in 2009 was considered living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.
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About CHDB
Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base Household Health Survey is one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, CIGNA Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors help to support CHDB. To view previous data news releases, please click here. For more information, or to access key findings from previous years, please visit www.chdbdata.org.
About PHMC
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.
