Thousands of socially vulnerable women missing recommended mammograms: CDC [Video]

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of women between ages 50 and 74 are not receiving life-saving mammograms, according to new federal data.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the prevalence of mammography use over a two-year period, in a report published Tuesday.

Mammography use varied by state and sociodemographics, but the study found the more health-related social needs (HRSNs) a woman had, the less likely she was to get a mammogram.

HRSNs are barriers that impact a person’s health or health care access with examples including food insecurity and lack of access to reliable transportation. These are sometimes referred to as social determinants of health (SDOHs).

For women between ages 50 and 74, mammography prevalence was 83.2% for women with no adverse SDOHs or HRSNs. However, among women in that age bracket with three or more SDOHs or HRSNs, the prevalence was 65.7%.

Social isolation, life dissatisfaction, lost or …