Sociodemographic Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening in Women with a Medical Disability

The purpose of this project was to describe cervical cancer screening rates in women with medical disabilities living in Ohio, and explore the relationship of select sociodemographic factors to cervical cancer screening participation. A chart abstraction of 350 randomly selected women, ages 20 to 80 years and enrolled in a statewide home care waiver program, was completed in July 2008. Less than half of the women (45.4%) had obtained a cervical cancer screening within the past 3 years. Controlling for age and third-party insurance, the odds of being screened decreased 20% with each activity of daily living requiring assistance (odds ratio = .815, 95% confidence interval [.696, .953]). Previous studies indicate that women with self-reported limitations are less likely to report a cervical cancer screening. The gap for screenings appears greater for women with a medical disability.