Dependent and independent variables

GB Gabriel A. Benavidez
AZ Anja Zgodic
WZ Whitney E. Zahnd
JE Jan M. Eberth
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We examined 3 dependent variables: 1) meeting current breast cancer screening guidelines, 2) meeting current cervical cancer screening guidelines, 3) meeting current colorectal cancer screening guidelines. The USPSTF guidelines recommend that women aged 50 to 74 at average risk be screened for breast cancer by biennial mammography (11). For colorectal cancer, USPSTF guidelines recommend that people aged 50 to 75 at average risk of colorectal cancer be screened by using any of the following methods and frequencies: colonoscopy every 10 years, flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or yearly stool-based tests (11). USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology alone in women aged 21 to 29. For women aged 30 to 65, the USPSTF recommends screening every 3 years with cervical cytology alone, every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus testing alone, or every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus testing in combination with cytology (11). On the basis of questions on age, types of screenings performed, and when screenings took place, BRFSS computes variables that categorize women’s status for meeting each USPSTF guideline (12).

The Healthy People 2020 framework categorizes the social determinants of health in 5 areas: 1) economic stability, 2) education, 3) social and community context, 4) health and health care, and 5) neighborhood and built environment (13). On the basis of this framework, we used the following sociodemographic variables: annual household income, based on previous BRFSS-generated categories (<$25,000, $25,000 to <$35,000, $35,000 to <$50,000, or ≥$50,000), education (<high school diploma, high school diploma, some college, or college degree), location of residence (metropolitan county, micropolitan county, or rural county as determined by the National Center for Health Statistics’ Urban–Rural Classification Scheme for Counties [14]), health insurance coverage (some form of health insurance or no form of health insurance), employment status (employed, unemployed, or retired), avoidance of medical care because of cost in the past year (yes or no), and race/ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, or “other” (Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native). We categorized age according to USPSTF screening guidelines: for cervical cancer, 3 age groups (21–39, 40–49, and 50–65); for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, 2 groups (50–64 and 65–75).

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