The cross-sectional association between lifestyle behaviors and breast and cervical cancer screening among Hispanic women along the Texas-Mexico border

Lifestyle behaviors may influence timely cancer screening, but their relationship is unknown among Hispanic women who have low cancer screening rates. We used Cameron County Hispanic Cohort data from 2014 to 2022 to evaluate the relationship between lifestyle and compliance with mammography and Papanicolaou (Pap) screening guidelines (“up-to-date”) among Hispanic women along the Texas-Mexico border. The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund scoring system characterized cancer-preventive lifestyle adherence. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between lifestyle behaviors and mammography and, separately, Pap screening. Among 385 age-eligible women for mammography and 412 age-eligible women for Pap test screening, up-to-date mammography and Pap screening were seen in 66.7 % (95 % CI: 58.8–73.7 %) and 71.4 % (95 % CI: 63.6–78.0 %) of women, respectively. Compared to non-adherence, adherence to waist circumference (AOR adjusted odds ratio 9.1, 95 % CI: 1.1–77.9; P = 0.04) and alcohol guidelines (AOR 9.4, 95 % CI: 1.1–81.6; P = 0.04) were associated with up-to-date mammography. Consumption guideline adherence to fruit and vegetable (AOR 4.0, 95 % CI: 1.2–13.4; P = 0.03), ultra-processed foods (AOR 7.5, 95 % CI: 1.6–34.7; P = 0.01), red meat (AOR 6.8, 95 % CI: 1.3–34.8; P = 0.02), and sugary beverages (AOR 16.9, 95 % CI: 2.1–138.4; P = 0.01) were associated with up-to-date Pap screening. Differential factors were associated with increased odds of being up-to-date with mammography versus Pap test screening. Lifestyle behavior promotion complements cancer prevention interventions. Contextual insight into the association between lifestyle and cancer screening provides a foundation for future endeavors to augment these two core components of cancer prevention to address Hispanic women's rising breast and cervical cancer risk. • Cancer prevention includes a healthy lifestyle and cancer screening compliance. • Border Hispanic females have a low uptake of healthy lifestyle and cancer screening. • Access to care was associated with increased odds of up-to-date mammography. • Higher adherence to a healthy diet increased odds of up-to-date Pap test screening. • Lifestyle behavior promotion should complement cancer screening interventions.