Abstract 4963: The role of education level in cervical cancer screening adherence among deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing women

Abstract Background: Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) women using American Sign Language (ASL) experience disparities in cancer screening and cancer-related health outcomes. Barriers to cancer screenings and cancer care have been well documented, owing to social determinants of health ranging from communication barriers to systemic inequalities within the healthcare system. There is a need to further clarify the roles of education status and English proficiency in DDBHH women’s adherence to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) screening guidelines for cervical cancer. Methods: Using the NCI Health Information National Trends Survey in ASL, we surveyed adult participants to assess the USPSTF guidelines’ age-appropriate adherence to cervical cancer screening. Associations between pap smear adherence (screened vs not screened), self-reported English proficiency (well vs not well), and education status (HS degree or less, some college, college) were assessed using Pearson Chi-squared tests. A two-sided p<=.05 was considered significant. Results: Over 475 DDBHH adult participants (21-65 years), recruited in-person and virtually between July 2023 and October 2024, answered screening questions for cancer screening in ASL and English. Within this group, 67% self-reported screening adherence for pap smear. In a published study, similarly aged hearing women reported 73.9% adherence in the English version of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Chi-square results indicated that more years of education was significantly associated with screening adherence [X2 (2, 484) = 7.613, p= 0.02]. Self-reported English proficiency was not associated with cervical screening adherence [X2 (1, 477) = 1.104, p= 0.30]. Discussion: With a 67% adherence rate, the DDBHH community has lower adherence to the recommended screening guidelines compared to the general hearing population. Within this group, those who self-report as HS graduates and/or have left college demonstrate lower adherence to cervical cancer screening guidelines. These findings show that education is key in preventive health behaviors, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address educational gaps and achieve the Healthy People 2030 target of 79.2% screening adherence. Such research will also aid the Center for Deaf Health Equity in actively working with this DDBHH group to improve strategies for increasing cervical cancer screening adherence. Citation Format: Ciara Luttrell, Hiruni Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne, Erika Bergeron, Poorna Kushalnagar. The role of education level in cervical cancer screening adherence among deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 4963.