Geographic and Racial Variations in Elderly Mammography Use

由于乳腺癌死亡率存在广泛的地理和种族差异，我们假设， 在乳房X线照相术的使用中存在相应的变化。值得注意的是，我们发现 非裔美国人口众多但乳腺癌死亡率没有种族差异的社区 在老年人中。在这项初步研究中，我们建议提高我们对这些成功的理解， 以及他们如何与不太成功的社区进行比较。我们将购买医疗保险索赔 2000年至2005年的数据，重点是美国230个县，非洲裔人口相对较多。我们 应将这些数据与地区资源文件中的数据合并，以获得社会人口和经济数据。 信息和有关医疗保健资源的数据。我们将收集有关特别计划的信息， 提高乳房X线摄影利用率。然后，我们将测试与以下特征相关的假设： 在实现种族平等方面相对成功和相对不成功的国家， 常规筛查性乳房X光检查或任何筛查性乳房X光检查。通过增加对 非洲裔美国人-白人乳腺癌发生率的地理差异 发生乳房X光检查和上下文特征的重要性，本研究将 为今后的研究和协助决策者消除种族歧视提供重要的试验资料。 乳腺癌死亡率的差异。

Because there are wide geographic and racial variations in breast cancer mortality, we hypothesize that there are corresponding variations in mammography utilization. Of particular interest, we have identified communities with large African American populations but no racial disparities in breast cancer mortality among the elderly. In this preliminary study, we propose to improve our understanding of these successful communities and how they compare with less successful communities. We shall purchase Medicare claims data for 2000-2005, focusing on 230 US counties with relatively large African American populations. We shall merge these with data from the Area Resource File to obtain socio-demographic and economic information, and data on health care resources. We will collect information about special programs aiming to increase mammography utilization. We shall then test hypotheses pertinent to the characterization of counties that have been relatively successful and relatively unsuccessful in achieving racial equality for regular screening mammography or any screening mammography. By increasing the understanding of geographic variations in the occurrence of African American-white breast cancer disparities in the occurrence of mammography and the importance of contextual characteristics, the present investigation will provide important pilot information for future studies and for assisting policy makers in eliminating racial disparities in breast cancer mortality.