Women with low incomes are less likely to have had a mammogram in accordance with recommended screening guidelines due to economic, behavioral, social, educational, and/or access-to-care barriers.

The BRFSS question about mammograms is asked only in even-numbered years.

Note: New BRFSS weighting and survey methodologies began in 2011 and include data collected from cellular telephones. These rates are not comparable to rates from 2010 and earlier.

These data are current as of April 2022.  New data will be made available in the Fall of 2023.

Potential Partners

• Connecticut Department of Social Services
• Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Connecticut State Department of Education
• Office of the Healthcare Advocate
• Hospitals
• Local public health agencies
• Federally-qualified health centers
• Health care providers including oncology nurses and oncologists
• Visiting nurses associations
• Health care providers of palliative and hospice care
• Radiology facilities
• Health professional associations
• Health insurers
• American Cancer Society
• Connecticut Cancer Partnership
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Patient advocates
• Schools of public health, allied health, nursing, and medicine
• Community-based organizations
• Faith-based organizations

Early detection of breast cancer through mammography screening has been determined to reduce mortality. Screening tests can find cancer at an early stage, before symptoms appear, when it can be treated more easily.

To ensure that all women who are age-appropriate receive the needed screening services, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends:

• evidence-based client reminder systems
• small media targeted at specific populations in selected geographic locations
• group education
• one-on-one education
• reducing structural barriers that prevent women from getting mammograms
• reducing client out-of-pocket costs
• evidence-based health care provider reminder systems
• evidence-based health care provider assessment and feedback systems

Potential Strategies

• Conduct public education and outreach initiatives to educate all women about the advantages of screening, as well as risks and how to access screening services
• Collaborate with large health systems to implement evidence-based client reminder systems, and provider assessment and feedback systems to improve referrals for mammograms
• Utilize community health workers to conduct one-on-one and group education about the importance of breast cancer screening at regular intervals, to assist with reducing structural barriers
• Collaborate with partners to increase availability of no-cost or low-cost mammograms
• Conduct targeted education and outreach initiatives in areas with high proportion of low income women (<$25,000)