A su salud: a quasi-experimental study among Mexican American women.

OBJECTIVES

To test the effectiveness of a community intervention program to promote breast and cervical cancer screening.

METHOD

Low-income Mexican American neighborhoods located in 2 Texas cities were assigned to intervention or comparison conditions. A 2-year community intervention was delivered via local mass media and reinforced by indigenous volunteers.

RESULTS

There were higher Pap smear completion rates for women under 40 years of age in the intervention community.

CONCLUSION

Although it is important to address the cultural needs of all Mexican American women, it is also important to understand the tangible environmental barriers faced by the older women.