Abstract
Our aim was to assess the impact of English language proficiency on Pap smear use among Hispanics. We performed a cross-sectional study using 2000 National Health Interview Survey data and included 2,331 Hispanic women, age >/=18 without a hysterectomy. After adjusting for sociodemographic and access factors, highly proficient English speakers were more likely to report a Pap smear in the past 3 years as compared to low proficient (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.22). Also associated with Pap smear use were income, usual source of care, and health insurance. Our finding suggests that low English language proficiency is a barrier to receiving recent Pap smears among Hispanics.