Using 2009 data from the California Health Interview Survey, the authors compared the rates of mammography among Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese immigrants 40 years and older. Participation in screening mammography differed according to ethnicity, with Filipina and Vietnamese Americans having the highest rates and Korean Americans having the lowest rates of lifetime and recent screening. These differences decreased substantially after adjusting for acculturation, sociodemographic factors, and risk factors of breast cancer, but differences remained, most notably for Korean Americans, who continued to have the lowest predicted probability of screening even after adjustment for these factors.

This analysis draws attention to low mammography screening rates among Asian-American immigrants, especially recent immigrants who lack health insurance. Given that their breast cancer incidence is rising with length of stay in the United States, it is important to increase regular mammography screening in these groups.