Sociodemographic and geographic factors associated with adherence to breast and colorectal cancer screening guidelines among women in Ohio in 2017–2018 and 2023–2024

BackgroundProportions of Ohio women up to date (UTD) with US Preventive Services Task Force recommended breast (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings are suboptimal. This study examined factors associated with being UTD.MethodsAfter excluding unusable responses and previously diagnosed women, wave 1 (2017–2018) included 275 women for BC and 300 for CRC analyses; wave 2 (2023–2024) included 298 and 333, respectively. Logistic regression identified sociodemographic and geographic predictors.ResultsFor CRC screening, older age (per year: wave 1 OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01–1.12; wave 2 results nearly identical), urban residence (wave 1 OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.09–4.22), and college (versus high school or less: wave 2 OR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.14–7.09) or post – graduate (wave 2 OR = 3.94; 95% CI: 1.35–11.51) education were significant. Among rural women, marital and employment status influenced CRC screening; among urban women, age (wave 1) and homeownership (wave 2) were key. For BC, only homeownership (wave 1 OR = 3.54; 95% CI: 1.54–8.14; wave 2 OR = 4.28; 95% CI: 1.87–9.83) was significant.DiscussionPersistent disparities in screening highlight the need for outreach to women with lower socioeconomic status tailored to rural and urban populations. Findings can reduce preventable mortality through policy, resource allocation, and research.