BACKGROUND:

Cervical cancer is a significant health disparity among women in Ohio Appalachia. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a lay health advisor (LHA) intervention for improving Papanicolaou (Pap) testing rates, to reduce cervical cancer, among women in need of screening.

METHODS:

Women from 14 Ohio Appalachian clinics in need of a Pap test were randomized to receive either usual care or an LHA intervention over a 10-month period. The intervention consisted of two in-person visits with an LHA, two phone calls, and four postcards. Both self-report and medical record review (MRR) data (primary outcome) were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Of the 286 women, 145 and 141 were randomized to intervention and usual care arms, respectively. According to MRR, more women in the LHA arm had a Pap test by the end of the study compared with those randomized to usual care (51.1% vs. 42.0%; OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 0.89-2.33; P = 0.135). Results of self-report were more pronounced (71.3% vs. 54.2%; OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.22-3.61; P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS:

An LHA intervention showed some improvement in the receipt of Pap tests among Ohio Appalachian women in need of screening. Although biases inherent in using self-reports of screening are well known, this study also identified biases in using MRR data in clinics located in underserved areas.

IMPACT:

LHA interventions show promise for improving screening behaviors among nonadherent women from underserved populations.

©2011 AACR.