US urban-rural disparities in breast cancer-screening practices at the national, regional, and state level, 2012-2016

Purpose Previous studies suggesting that rural US women may be less likely to have a recent mammogram than urban women are limited in either scope or granularity. This study explored urban-rural disparities in US breast cancer-screening practices at the national, regional, and state levels. Methods We used data from the 2012, 2014, and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems surveys. Logistic models were utilized to examine the impact of living in an urban/rural area on mammogram screening at three geographic levels while adjusting for covariates. We then calculated average adjusted predictions (AAPs) and average marginal effects (AMEs) to isolate the association between breast cancer screening and the urban/rural factor. Results At all geographic levels, AAPs of breast cancer screening were similar among urban, suburban, and rural residents. Regarding "ever having a mammogram" and "having a recent mammogram," urban women had small but significantly higher adjusted probabilities (AAP: 94.6%, 81.1%) compared to rural women (AAP: 93.5%, 80.2%). Conclusions While urban-rural differences in breast cancer screening are small, they can translate into tens of thousands of rural women not receiving mammograms. Hence, there is a need to continue screening initiatives in these areas to reduce the number of breast cancer deaths.