"Mexican Immigrant Women in New York City"

Chau Trinh-Shevrin DrPH, Angelica Herrera MPH, Francesca Gany MD, MS, Karen Carapetyan MS, and Monica Cebrian MS

Introduction: Early cancer detection through regular screening can prevent or delay progression to invasive cancer. Mexican immigrant women have the lowest rates of cancer screening of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Barriers to screening for Mexican immigrant women include traditional gender roles, legal status, language difficulties, and socioeconomic status.
Objectives: We sought to determine how Mexican immigrant men’s own health-seeking behaviors and their attitudes towards, and support for, breast and cervical cancer screening impacted their female partner’s cancer screening behaviors. We examined such factors as traditional gender roles, acculturation, SES, familismo, social support, self-efficacy, and machismo. The potential for the use of a couple-centered cancer screening education program for Mexican immigrant women was explored. Methods: 64 couples of Mexican descent, ages 18 and older, in the NYC-metropolitan were recruited from two community-based organizations to participate in focus groups and survey research. Data from the focus groups were translated, transcribed, and summarized. Descriptive statistics were generated from the surveys.
Results: Mexican immigrant women’s health-seeking behaviors were significantly influenced by male partners. Couples were receptive to the idea of using a couple-centered intervention as a way to alter behavior and provided recommendations on appropriate ways to intervene. Conclusion: A couple-centered intervention can be an effective and feasible way to improve knowledge, understanding, and behaviors for cervical and breast cancer prevention in Mexican immigrant communities. Such efforts should be explored and evaluated for communities in which male partners play a significant role in influencing their partners’ health behaviors.

Presentation of Results: APHA Annual meeting, 2003; results currently being prepared for publication.