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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of females who get screened for breast cancer — C‑05 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 76.2 percent of females aged 50 to 74 years received a breast cancer screening in 2019

Target: 80.3 percent

Numerator
Number of females aged 50 to 74 years who had a mammogram in the past 2 years.
Denominator
Number of females aged 50 to 74 years, excluding those with a history of breast cancer.
Target-setting method
Percentage point improvement
Target-setting method details
Percentage point improvement from the baseline using Cohen's h effect size of 0.10.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective but it was not possible to project a target because the trend was moving away from the desired direction and the slope of the line was not statistically significant. A percentage point improvement was calculated using Cohen's h effect size of 0.1. This method was used because the Healthy People 2030 Workgroup Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) expected the overall percentage may be difficult to change. Although this target is ambitious, the SMEs believed that progress may be made through multicomponent interventions, especially for medically underserved women.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2019 National Health Interview Survey:

Numerator:
Have you EVER HAD a mammogram?
  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Refused
  4. Don't know
About how long has it been since your MOST RECENT mammogram?
  1. Within the past year (anytime less than 12 months ago)
  2. Within the past 2 years (1 year but less than 2 years ago)
  3. Within the past 3 years (2 years but less than 3 years ago)
  4. Within the past 5 years (3 years but less than 5 years ago)
  5. Within the past 10 years (5 years but less than 10 year ago)
  6. 10 years ago or more
  7. Don't Know

Methodology notes

Data include women who have had a mammogram within the last 2 years. Healthy People 2030 uses the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations to measure this objective, and the current USPSTF recommendation includes biennial mammography for women aged 50 to 74 years (Grade B), with an additional recommendation that starting biennial mammography for women 40 to 49 years should be an individual decision considering patient context, including a patient's beliefs regarding possible benefits and harms (Grade C).
The denominator does not include respondents who reported ever having breast cancer.

Age-adjustment notes

This indicator uses Age-Adjustment Groups:

  • Total: 50-64, 65-74
  • Race/Ethnicity: 50-64, 65-74
  • Country of Birth: 50-64, 65-74
  • Geographic Location: 50-64, 65-74
  • Family Income: 50-64, 65-74
  • Educational Attainment: 50-64, 65-74
  • Marital Status: 50-64, 65-74
  • Disability Status: 50-64, 65-74
  • Sexual Orientation: 50-64, 65-74
  • Veteran Status: 50-64, 65-74
  • Health Insurance: 50-64

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from HP2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Revision History
  • Revised. 

    In 2022, due to the 2019 NHIS redesign, the baseline was revised from 72.8% in 2018 to 76.4% in 2019. The target was revised from 77.1% to 80.5% using the original target setting method.
  • Revised. 

    In 2023, the denominator was revised to exclude women with a history of breast cancer. As a result, the baseline was revised from 76.4% to 76.2% in 2019 and the target was revised from 80.5% to 80.3%.
  • Revised. 

    In 2024, the following categories were recalculated with the use of a newer variable: Never married, American Indian or Alaska Native only, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only, 2 or more races only, Not Hispanic or Latino American Indian or Alaska Native only, Not Hispanic or Latino Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only, Not Hispanic or Latino 2 or more races only. Estimates from data year 2022 or earlier may vary slightly from estimates previously reported. The baseline, baseline year and target were not affected.

1. Effect size h=0.1 was chosen to correspond with 10% improvement from a baseline of 50%.