“Data from the 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplements were compared for each racial/ethnic group by income, education, age, and gender….Although specific subgroups increased their use of screening modalities between 1987 and 1992, older black Americans who were poor and had less education reported less screening than similar older white Americans. Although social class is a powerful explanatory variable for younger Americans, racial disparities in cancer screening persist among older black Americans.”

“Older (65-74 years) black Americans who were poor ($20,000 annual income) or less educated (<12 years education) reported less screening than older white Americans of a similar social class; thus may be attributable to other barriers, including racial discrimination. Insurance, source health care, physician referral rates, social networks, and geography have all been shown to influence screening.”