Latino Nativity Status and Cancer Screening Behaviors within the U.S.

Cancer is the number one cause of death for Latinos in the United States. With such a great burden being placed on this rapidly growing demographic, it is vital that the scientific and health care communities recognize the heterogeneity of the Latino community, especially in relation to data regarding cancer and cancer screening. Cancer screening, as a preventative public health tool, has the ability to be a significant factor in lessening the impact of cancer in Latinos. A number of studies have focused on the factors that contribute to cancer screening behaviors, yet very few of these studies focus on an individual’s nativity status, classified as US born or foreign born. The nativity status, as well as generational status, of Latinos contribute to vastly different health outcomes, and if studies and health care professionals continue to treat this population as homogenous, cancer screening rates may plateau or decrease, continuing the socially unjust burden of preventable cancers in the Latino population.