Understanding and Preventing Breast Cancer Disparities in Latinas: Screening Mammography and Latinas: A Multilevel Intervention

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Hispanic women in the United States (US) and five-year survival from breast cancer is lower in Hispanic than in non-Hispanic White women. This reduced survival has a number of potential causes, but differential screening rates may be a partial explanation, since Hispanic women have lower breast cancer screening rates than non-Hispanic White women. The overall purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate a culturally-appropriate intervention aimed at increasing screening mammography rates in a clinic-based sample of predominantly Mexican American women in Western Washington.

The recruitment goal of the Fortaleza Latina study is approximately 500 Latina women aged 40-74 who have had a clinic visit within the past 5 years, but no recent mammogram, from the four selected Community Health Center clinics. After providing informed consent and completing a baseline assessment, eligible women are randomly assigned to intervention or comparison group, within clinic. The individual-level intervention implements motivational interviewing (MI) in two participant encounters. MI is a direct counseling style, led by a promotora (lay health advisor), that elicits behavior change by helping participants explore and resolve ambivalence.

Of the 2194 women contacted by field interviewers, a total of 710 surveys have been completed; of these, 542 were eligible and have been randomized and enrolled into the Fortaleza Latina study (279 intervention, 263 usual care).