Mario Schootman, Ph.D.
Project Overview:
What is the impact of disabilities on breast cancer screening and mortality?
The study’s objectives are: to better understand the difference in utilization of breast cancer screening between women with and without disabilities; to determine if women with disabilities are more likely to die from breast cancer due to lack of screening; and to inform public health efforts aimed at increasing screening among underserved women.
The first question on differences in utilization rates for breast cancer screening will be answered using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The analysis for differences in breast cancer mortality between women with disabilities and women without will be done using data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA) available from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Final Report:
Even though screening reduces the risk of death from breast cancer by 30 percent, some population segments are not receiving mammography as recommended. Recently, attention has been directed toward women with disabilities as a potential underserved population.
