Underutilizers of mammography screening today: characteristics of women planning, undecided about, and not planning a mammogram
Clemow, Lynn ; Costanza, Mary E. ; Haddad, W. P. ; Luckmann, Roger ; White, Mary Jo ; Klaus, D. ; Stoddard, Anne M.
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Keywords
Aged, 80 and over
*Attitude to Health
Breast Neoplasms
Chi-Square Distribution
Decision Making
Female
Health Maintenance Organizations
Humans
Mammography
Mass Screening
Massachusetts
Middle Aged
*Motivation
Primary Health Care
Questionnaires
Socioeconomic Factors
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Women's Studies
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Abstract
Using concepts from the Precaution Adoption Process Model, we identified behavioral factors, sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, and beliefs about breast cancer that discriminated among women at different stages with regard to their intention to obtain mammography screening. An independent survey company conducted telephone interviews with 2,507 women aged 50 to 80 who were identified as underutilizers of mammography screening. Each underutilizer was assigned to one of three stages with regard to intention to get a mammogram: (a) definitely planning, (b) thinking about, and (c) not planning. Estimated actual risk of breast cancer, perceived risk to breast cancer, worry about breast cancer, and fear of learning from a mammogram that one has breast cancer were variables found to be significantly associated with intention to obtain a mammogram for several subgroups of underutilizing women. There are significant behavioral and psychosocial variables, beliefs and feelings about breast cancer, and demographic characteristics that distinguish underutilizing women at various stages with regard to intention to obtain mammography screening. Our findings provide new information that could help the health care professional motivate women who are not planning to utilize this preventive health measure to become regular utilizers.
Source
Ann Behav Med. 2000 Winter;22(1):80-8.