Accuracy of Self-Reported Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening by Women with Intellectual Disability

• Published in: American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities Vol. 118; no. 4; pp. 327 - 336
• Main Authors: Son, Esther, Parish, Susan L, Swaine, Jamie G, Luken, Karen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 01-07-2013
• Subjects: Adult; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cancer; Early Detection of Cancer - psychology; Female; Females; Health Behavior; Humans; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Interview, Psychological; Interviews; Mammography - psychology; Mental Retardation; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevention; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Screening Tests; Self Disclosure (Individuals); Self Report - standards; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - psychology; Vaginal Smears - psychology
• ISSN: 1944-7515
• DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-188.4.327

This study examines the accuracy of self-report of cervical and breast cancer screening by women with intellectual disability ("n" ?=? 155). Data from face-to-face interviews and medical records were analyzed. Total agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated. Total agreement between self-report and medical record on receipt of both procedures was 75% for Pap test and 87% for mammography. Self-reported Pap tests and mammography showed greater than 90% sensitivity, but specificity was low for both procedures (41% for Pap test, 30% for mammogram), indicating overreporting of receipt of Pap tests and mammography similar to women without disabilities. Clinicians and researchers are cautioned to corroborate self-reported data with other sources for patients and research participants with intellectual disability.