Gender, Social Ties, and Cancer Screening Among Elderly Persons

Abstract

Objective. This study examines the association of social ties and cancer screening. Method. Data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging II include 4,419 respondents (70 to 85) who completed Wave 2. The dependent variable is receipt of screening within the past 2 years, measured at Wave 2. Social network variables include marital status, interaction with friends, relatives, and children, and church attendance. Results. Women were higher on most social tie measures, except marriage, and less likely to have mammography than men were to have prostate cancer screening. Also, the decline of screening with age was greater for women. For women, screening was related to contact with friends, relatives, and children but not marital status or church attendance. For men, screening was higher in the married and church attendees, but contact with friends, relatives, and children was not associated with screening. Discussion. Cancer screening interventions that use interpersonal communication channels should target distinct relationships for older women and men

Intrapersonal and community factors associated with prostate cancer screening among African-American males in the US

“…Compared to males aged ≥70, younger age groups, 40- [20][21][22] However, age was not associated with receiving the DRE. The lack of association among age and the DRE may attributed to the sensitive nature of administering the DRE.…”

“…37,38 AAs are more likely to attend religious services and activities compared to other races 39,40 and church attendance has been shown to be associated with informational support regarding PCS and higher levels of PCS. 3,18,20 Churches are well-recognized as vital community resources for social support and health promotion, and hence, conduits to reducing health disparities in this population. 29,[41][42][43][44] Access to health care…”

“…In fact, religion provided an inclination to participate in PCS. 20 Additionally, perceived behavioral expectations are those which arise from the individual's social groups identified as spouses, family members, friends, and neighbors.…”

“…Church 20,41,43 and a valuable resource for health programs based in the community. The influence of the church in reducing health disparities highlights the value of church involvement as a vital resource for promoting health and reducing health disparities in the AA population.…”

The Relationship between Psychosocial Factors and Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors of Older Hispanic Women

“…These established empirically based concepts are included in the study to build upon the existing knowledge base. The concepts include attitudes, operationalized as satisfaction with aging, life satisfaction, and religiosity (Agho, Mosley, Rivers, & Parker, 2007;Allicock, Sandelowski, DeVellis, & Campbell, 2008;Beaulieu, Beland, Roy, Falardeau, & Hébert, 1996;Benjamins, 2006;Borrayo et al, 2005;Drew & Schoenberg, 2011;; perceived control, operationalized as a sense of mastery and a sense of constraints (Hawley et al, 2008;Otero-Sabogal, Stewart, Sabogal, Brown, & Pérez-Stable, 2003); and subjective norms operationalized as loneliness (Cohen, 2004;Documét et al, 2008;Klassen & Washington, 2008;McFall & Davila, 2008). Outcomes are operationalized as the actual receipt of breast cancer screening within the past 2 years.…”