Author(s)

Anny D. Rodriguez¹, Emir Veledar², Patria Rojas³, Richard Tardanico⁴, Vukosava Pekovic¹, Nasar U. Ahmed^1*

¹Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, USA.
²Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, USA.
³Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, USA.
⁴Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Florida International Uni-versity, Miami, USA.

Cervical cancer is a preventable yet significant cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, particularly affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and racial/ethnic minorities. Studies have found African American women to have higher incidence and prevalence of cervical cancer when compared to Caucasian women, but few studies have investigated the subgroups within the Black diaspora and their disparities, including Black Caribbean women. This study focuses on Black Caribbean women and the disparities in cervical cancer outcomes within this population and to identify barriers to screening and examine screening behaviors to develop culturally sensitive interventions. Data from 124 Black Caribbean women were analyzed, considering demographics, cervical cancer knowledge, screening practices, and healthcare-seeking behaviors. Two clustering methods, dendrograms and classification and regression trees, were performed to visualize and understand patterns in screening behaviors. The findings revealed disparities in screening rates based on age and country of birth, with older women and US-born participants having higher screening rates. Healthcare provider recommendations played a crucial role in screening adherence. The study emphasizes the need for culturally tailored screening programs and awareness campaigns to address knowledge gaps and cultural beliefs affecting screening behaviors. Improving knowledge, understanding cultural beliefs, and enhancing patient-provider relationships are essential in reducing the disparity in cervical cancer outcomes among Black Caribbean women in South Florida and similar populations.

Cervical Cancer, Screening, Barriers, Clustering

Rodriguez, A. , Veledar, E. , Rojas, P. , Tardanico, R. , Pekovic, V. and Ahmed, N. (2023) Identification of the Cervical Cancer Screening Patterns among Black Caribbean Women Using Dendrogram and Decision Tree. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 11, 301-316. doi: 10.4236/jss.2023.119021.