Association of Cancer Risk Perception and Patient-provider Communication with Pap Test Among African American and Sub-Saharan African-born Women

Black women bear a disproportionately higher burden of cervical cancer than any ethnic/racial group. Patient’s cancer risk perceptions and patient-provider communication behavior may influence uptake of cervical cancer screening with Papanicolaou (Pap) test. We examined the association of cancer risk perceptions and patient-provider communication behavior and Pap test uptake. Black women completed a cross-sectional survey on sociodemographic, cancer perceptions, and perceived patient-centered communication behaviors. Multiple linear regression models were fitted to explore the association of perceptions and patient communication behaviors. Women (N = 116) average age was 40 ± 12.7 years and 73% had ever received a Pap test. Women who agreed with the statement that it seemed like everything causes cancer had over four times the odds of having had a Pap test (OR = 4.40, 95% CI = 1.38–13.97, p = .012) while those that responded that when they think about cancer, they automatically think of death had 73% lower odds of having had a Pap test (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.08–0.95, p = .040). The odds of Pap test completion were over 4-fold among those who said their health care provider always or usually gave them the chance to ask health-related questions, compared to those who responded sometimes or never (OR = 4.11, 95% CI = 1.36–12.44; p = .012). Interventions to dispel myths and promote effective patient-provider communications are warranted to address anecdotal cancer risk perceptions and promote patient engagements.