Social risk factors and cancer prevention care among patients in community health-care settings.

Background: Social risks are negatively associated with receipt of cancer preventive care. As knowledge is lacking on the pathways underlying these associations, we investigated associations between patient-reported social risks and colorectal cancer (CRC), cervical cancer, and breast cancer screening order provision and screening completion.

Methods: This study included patients eligible for CRC, cervical cancer, or breast cancer screening at 186 community-based clinics between July 1, 2015, and February 29, 2020. Outcomes included up-to-date status for indicated cancer screenings at baseline; percentage of subsequent study months in which patients were up-to-date on screenings; screening order receipt; and screening completion. Independent variables were patient-reported food insecurity, transportation barriers, and housing instability. Analyses used covariate-adjusted generalized estimating equation models, stratified by social risk.

Results: Patients with documented social risks were less likely to be up-to-date on any cancer screening at baseline and in most cases had a lower rate of total study months up-to-date on screenings. All cancer screenings were ordered less often for food-insecure patients. Cervical cancer screening was ordered less often for transportation-insecure patients. The likelihood of completing a screening test differed statistically significantly by select social risks: Cervical cancer and CRC screening rates were lower among food-insecure patients, and CRC screening rates were lower among transportation-insecure patients. The likelihood of breast cancer screening completion did not differ by social risk status.

Conclusion: Social risks affect both the ordering and the receipt of cancer screening. Research is needed on strategies to mitigate the impact of different social risks on cancer early-detection services.