Family, Friends Crucial to Whether You Get Screened for Cancer
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 18, 2024 -- Having close family and friends who care about their health makes women more likely to get regularly screened for cancer, a new study has found.
Women are more likely to undergo regular cancer screening if they have a tighter web of social and emotional connections, researchers reported Oct. 17 in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.
For example, women who never or rarely receive social and emotional support are 39% less likely to be up-to-date with mammogram screening, researchers found.
They also were 24% less likely to have undergone regular cervical cancer screening, compared to women who always have social and emotional support, results show.
Living with a spouse or partner also increased the likelihood of regular cancer screening, researchers noted.
“These findings highlight the need for interventions that can help mobilize social support networks and address the unmet social needs of parents and caregivers,” said lead researcher Jordan Baeker Bispo, principal scientist for cancer disparity research at the American Cancer Society.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the 2021 edition of an annual U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention poll, the National Health Interview Survey.
As part of the poll, participants were asked about their living arrangements and perceived social support.
Results show that living with a spouse or partner increased the likelihood of regular screenings for breast and colon cancer.
Women were 44% more likely to participate in regular breast cancer screening and 42% more likely to get screened for colon cancer if they live with a spouse or partner, researchers found.
Sources
- American Cancer Society, news release, Oct. 17, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Recalled: More Than 67,000 Cases of Deodorant Sold at Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Amazon
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 — More than 67,000 cases of Power Stick deodorant have been recalled due to an undisclosed manufacturing issue. The recalled deodorants, made by A.P...
Dogs Can Sniff Out Parkinson's Disease, Study Shows
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 — Dogs’ noses are sensitive enough to track down fleeing convicts, locate human remains in hidden burial sites and detect illicit drug...
For Some, Gluten Intolerance Is Psychological, Study Says
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 — Gluten intolerance might be all in the minds of some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), results from a small-scale experiment...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.