#B200 Latina Immigrants’ Perceptions of Cancer and US Healthcare: Implications for Cancer Prevention and Control. Vanessa Sheppard,1 Mariano J. Kanamori,1 Michelle J. Goodman,1 Janet Canar,2 Jyl Pomeroy,3 Elmer Huerta,4 Jeanne Mandelblatt.1 Georgetown University Medical Center,1 Washington, DC, Spanish Catholic Center,2 Washington, DC, Arlington Free Clinic,3 Arlington, Virginia, Washington Hospital,4 Washington, DC. Background. Latinos are the largest minority group in the US (approx. 35.7 million). Although they have a 30% lower breast cancer incidence than Caucasians, this is the most frequent cancer diagnosed among Latinas. Additionally, Latinas suffer from later stage diagnosis of breast cancer. Given their growth in this population, the number of Latinas at risk for developing breast cancer is expected to increase over the coming decades. Therefore, breast cancer prevention and control will be very important for this population. Breast cancer prevention behaviors are complex and are influenced by individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors. Patient-provider communication and health care perceptions such as patient trust may be important determinants in their willingness to participate in cancer prevention behaviors. While these factors are strong predictors of health behaviors in the general population, they have not been well-studied in low-income, recently immigrated Latinos. Purpose. To explore factors that predict better patient-provider communication, and to examine the role of patient-provider communication and patient perceptions of healthcare on the use of mammography for low-income Latina women. We intend to use these data to design culturally appropriate clinic-based interventions. Methods. Women >= 40 years old with non-emergency clinic appointments from five primary care clinics were interviewed. Health care perceptions measured included: patient-provider communication, overall trust in providers, mistrust in the US healthcare system and perceived healthcare discrimination. Our primary outcome was mammography adherence. Other variables measured included demographic characteristics, country of origin, perceived breast cancer risk, years at clinic and breast cancer prevention beliefs. We computed univariate and bivariate analyses using descriptive statistics, chi-square and t-tests. We used logistic regression to assess factors associated with mammography use. Results. Of the 112 women in the study, most were uninsured (70%) and were born in Latin America (99%). Overall trust in providers (63%) was higher than trust in the US health system (21%). Six percent reported that they were at high risk for breast cancer and 77% believed breast cancer could be prevented. Better patient-provider communication was associated with higher trust (p<. 05). Patient-provider communication and patient beliefs that breast cancer could be prevented were more strongly associated with mammography use than demographic or health perception variables (p<.05). Conclusions. Patient-provider communication was associated with receipt of mammography. In addition, patients had higher trust in providers than in the US health system and this was the only factor associated with patient-provider communication. Stronger patient-provider relationships, with good patient-provider communication and high levels of trust, may indirectly lead to better health through adherence to recommended breast cancer screening for low income Latina women. Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, 2003 AACR Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.