The Effect of Disability and Social Determinants of Health on Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction The objective of this study was to examine the effect of disability status and social determinants of health (SDOH) on adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2018 and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data sets. We defined adherence to screenings according to the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for breast and cervical cancer screening. The analysis included respondents assigned female at birth, aged 50 to 74 years (breast cancer screening) or aged 21 to 65 years (cervical cancer screening). We performed logistic regression to evaluate breast and cervical cancer screening adherence, by disability status and SDOH (health insurance coverage, marital status, and urban residency), independently and simultaneously. Results Our analysis included 27,526 BRFSS respondents in 2018 and 2020. In 2018, women with disabilities had lower adjusted odds than women without disabilities of being up to date with mammograms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.63-0.93) and Pap (Papanicolaou) tests (AOR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.89). In 2020, among women with disabilities, the adjusted odds of mammogram and Pap test adherence decreased (AOR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54-0.89; AOR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.47-0.75, respectively). In 2018, the adjusted odds of mammogram adherence among rural residents with and without disabilities were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.70-0.98), which decreased to 0.76 (95% CI, 0.62-0.93) in 2020. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the effect of disability status and SDOH on breast and cervical cancer screening rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health strategies that acknowledge and address these disparities are crucial in preparing for future public health crises.