| Cancer is the second leading cause of death for all persons in the United States, and the leading cause of death for women between the ages of 25 to 64. Viewed not only as a major health problem but also a multi-factorial social issue, effective screening is integral to reducing cancer mortality. Cervical cancer screening offers opportunities for cancer control not yet achievable for any other contributor to cancer mortality. The Pap smear meets the full range of criteria for an effective screening modality and while overall rates of Pap smear screening are high, a significant proportion of women remain unscreened.; The Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–354) mandated a nationwide program to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of screening and established the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Act's goal was to increase access for medically underserved women to comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening services and education.; Using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Cancer Control Supplement, and reported funding amounts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for program development though the Act, identification of the relationship and impact of federal legislation was studied. The sample (N = 7,516) consisted of women that were over the age of 18 and lived in a metropoliation statistical area (MSA). The dependent variable was nominal identifying whether a woman had a Pap smear in the last year or not. Several control variables were also examined: insurance source, education, source for care, age, labor force, and high income. Those found to be significant in women between the ages of 18 and 44 for having a Pap smear in the last year included their age, if they had an insurance source, were currently in the labor force and had a health care provider, or care source.; The independent variable, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Act was not determined to be significant in Pap smear screening participation. Results showed that funding for cancer screening through a national policy was not significantly influential in women having a Pap smear. However the amount of funding received did increase the probability of participation in cervical cancer screening in the last year for women targeted by the Act. |
