Rural‐Urban Disparities in Access to Breast Cancer Screening: A Spatial Clustering Analysis

Abstract

The evidence from this study points to geographic disparities in access to screening for breast cancer. Mitigating the access issues that rural women face would require interventions specifically targeted to rural populations.

Association of Neighborhood Measures of Social Determinants of Health With Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in the US Midwest

“…39,40 Persons living in deprived and rural areas may especially benefit from comprehensive multilevel efforts, 37 such as mobile screening service facilities or extended-hour screening clinics, which could enable patients in areas of high deprivation to seek care and mitigate access barriers faced by underserved populations, particularly in the rural Midwest. 19 Contrary to national trends demonstrating similar screening completion rates for colorectal cancer among men and women, 41 our study found that women were more likely to complete screening than men. This finding may be because of concurrent screening opportunities (with women also due for breast and cervical cancer screening) and more frequent contact with health care professionals because of pregnancy and childcare.…”

Spatial barriers as moral failings: What rural distance can teach us about women's health and medical mistrust

“…This is significant, for as Sullivan et al (2003) evidence, rural women not only report experiencing loneliness and isolation owing to limited health care services and long distances to access health care, but also that experiencing loneliness and isolation can in turn compound their ability to adapt to chronic illnesses and other health conditions. Ethnographically documenting rural women's perspectives and experiences not only addresses gaps in qualitative public health research but also lends nuance to quantitative work on women's access to health care ( Bornstein et al, 2018 ; Chandak et al, 2018 ; Onega et al, 2014 ).…”

Introducing the Percent, Number, Availability, and Capacity [PNAC] Spatial Approach to Identify Priority Rural Areas Requiring Targeted Health Support in Light of COVID‐19: A Commentary and Application

“…(7) where this measure has been used). While, in relation to Availability, the number of services available within a specified radius (as done in my earlier work 17 ), or the geographic location where services are clustered (as done by Chandak et al 6 ) may be best.…”

“…Similarly, Harrod et al 5 confirmed that staffing constraints also hinder rural hospital performance during a time of crisis. Finally, irrespective of hospital capacity issues existing during crisis, research has confirmed that compared to urban communities, rural communities typically face poorer access to health services 6 . This is especially problematic during a pandemic.…”

“…Finally, irrespective of hospital capacity issues existing during crisis, research has confirmed that compared to urban communities, rural communities typically face poorer access to health services. 6 This is especially problematic during a pandemic.…”