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Article
Understanding Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinas Through the Lens of Structure, Culture, Psychology and Communication
Journal of Health Communication
  • Nancy Nien-Tsu Chen, California State University Channel Islands
  • Meghan B. Moran, Johns Hopkins University
  • Lauren B. Frank, Portland State University
  • Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, University of Southern California
  • Sheila T. Murphy, University of Southern California
Document Type
Post-Print
Publication Date
7-18-2018
Subjects
  • Health education -- methods,
  • Papillomaviruses,
  • Health promotion -- Hispanic American women,
  • Cervix uteri -- Cancer -- Diagnosis,
  • Narratives -- Health promotion
Abstract

This study explored how structural and cultural forces work together with psychological and communication factors in influencing Pap test compliance among Latinas in Los Angeles County, a group who face health disparities related to cervical cancer screening, incidence and mortality. By adopting a multilevel approach to obtain a grounded understanding of this issue, this work revealed that structural barriers, fatalism, religious service attendance, perceived susceptibility, perceived costs, and cues to action from health care providers are all associated with Pap test compliance. Financial barriers also influence compliance, with underinsurance having a stronger negative impact compared to no insurance at all. These findings provide insights into how communication efforts can be strategically designed to address both individual- and system-level barriers to promote health-seeking behaviors among Latinas, and potentially among other population groups experiencing health disparities due to similar reasons.

Rights

Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Description

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Health Communication. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Health Communication, 23(7), 661-669.

DOI
10.1080/10810730.2018.1500661
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/27053
Citation Information
Published as: Chen, N. N. T., Moran, M. B., Frank, L. B., Ball-Rokeach, S. J., & Murphy, S. T. (2018). Understanding Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinas Through the Lens of Structure, Culture, Psychology and Communication. Journal of health communication, 23(7), 661-669.