Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey
Abstract Background Preventive cancer screenings improve health outcomes, yet inequalities in access to and engagement with cervical cancer screening persist among minoritised populations, particularly migrants and ethnically minoritised groups. This study examines whether inequalities in the accumu...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23267-1 |
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| author | Sarah Derveeuw Katrien Vanthomme Sara Willems Sorana Toma |
| author_facet | Sarah Derveeuw Katrien Vanthomme Sara Willems Sorana Toma |
| author_sort | Sarah Derveeuw |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Preventive cancer screenings improve health outcomes, yet inequalities in access to and engagement with cervical cancer screening persist among minoritised populations, particularly migrants and ethnically minoritised groups. This study examines whether inequalities in the accumulation of health-related cultural resources (knowledge, values, and skills that individuals can use to promote their health) help explain ethnic disparities in cervical cancer screening within a European context, drawing on the theoretical concept of “cultural health capital”. Methods Using data from the 2013 and 2018 Belgian Health Interview Surveys (n = 6,247), we employed logistic regression models to explore the relationships among migrant background, cultural health capital (reflecting primary prevention, secondary prevention and healthcare provider engagement), and cervical cancer screening participation, controlling for socioeconomic and health factors. Results We identified persistent migrant and ethnic disparities in screening, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and cultural health capital factors. Although cultural health capital accumulation patterns varied considerably across migrant backgrounds and were consistently linked to increased cervical cancer screening uptake, these associations did not fully account for the observed inequalities. Notably, first-generation non-European migrants gained fewer benefits from higher cultural health capital. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of considering intersecting factors such as length of residence, racialisation and ethnicization, in shaping cultural health capital accumulation. While cultural health capital correlates positively with cervical cancer screening uptake for most groups, it does not fully explain the observed disparities, underscoring the role of systemic barriers in perpetuating inequalities. Future studies should refine cultural health capital measurement and investigate the barriers that diverse populations encounter in their cultural health capital accumulation process. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-377ac9d5f1374154aafaed553f7fef76 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-377ac9d5f1374154aafaed553f7fef762025-08-20T03:45:41ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-07-0125111710.1186/s12889-025-23267-1Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview SurveySarah Derveeuw0Katrien Vanthomme1Sara Willems2Sorana Toma3Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent UniversityAbstract Background Preventive cancer screenings improve health outcomes, yet inequalities in access to and engagement with cervical cancer screening persist among minoritised populations, particularly migrants and ethnically minoritised groups. This study examines whether inequalities in the accumulation of health-related cultural resources (knowledge, values, and skills that individuals can use to promote their health) help explain ethnic disparities in cervical cancer screening within a European context, drawing on the theoretical concept of “cultural health capital”. Methods Using data from the 2013 and 2018 Belgian Health Interview Surveys (n = 6,247), we employed logistic regression models to explore the relationships among migrant background, cultural health capital (reflecting primary prevention, secondary prevention and healthcare provider engagement), and cervical cancer screening participation, controlling for socioeconomic and health factors. Results We identified persistent migrant and ethnic disparities in screening, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and cultural health capital factors. Although cultural health capital accumulation patterns varied considerably across migrant backgrounds and were consistently linked to increased cervical cancer screening uptake, these associations did not fully account for the observed inequalities. Notably, first-generation non-European migrants gained fewer benefits from higher cultural health capital. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of considering intersecting factors such as length of residence, racialisation and ethnicization, in shaping cultural health capital accumulation. While cultural health capital correlates positively with cervical cancer screening uptake for most groups, it does not fully explain the observed disparities, underscoring the role of systemic barriers in perpetuating inequalities. Future studies should refine cultural health capital measurement and investigate the barriers that diverse populations encounter in their cultural health capital accumulation process.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23267-1Ethnic inequalitiesPreventionCultural health capitalCervical Cancer screening |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Derveeuw Katrien Vanthomme Sara Willems Sorana Toma Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey BMC Public Health Ethnic inequalities Prevention Cultural health capital Cervical Cancer screening |
| title | Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey |
| title_full | Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey |
| title_fullStr | Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey |
| title_short | Migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening: exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey |
| title_sort | migrant and ethnic inequalities in cervical cancer screening exploring the role of cultural health capital using data from the belgian health interview survey |
| topic | Ethnic inequalities Prevention Cultural health capital Cervical Cancer screening |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23267-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahderveeuw migrantandethnicinequalitiesincervicalcancerscreeningexploringtheroleofculturalhealthcapitalusingdatafromthebelgianhealthinterviewsurvey AT katrienvanthomme migrantandethnicinequalitiesincervicalcancerscreeningexploringtheroleofculturalhealthcapitalusingdatafromthebelgianhealthinterviewsurvey AT sarawillems migrantandethnicinequalitiesincervicalcancerscreeningexploringtheroleofculturalhealthcapitalusingdatafromthebelgianhealthinterviewsurvey AT soranatoma migrantandethnicinequalitiesincervicalcancerscreeningexploringtheroleofculturalhealthcapitalusingdatafromthebelgianhealthinterviewsurvey |