Although previous work has identified factors that are correlated with mammography screening, the objective of this investigation was to determine race/ethnic specific associations between selected psychosocial factors and history of screening mammography in a cohort of more than 1400 African American and White women. All eligible (aged 40 –79) African American women and a random sample of White women who received screening in five hospital based facilities across Connecticut, frequency matched on facility and day of exam, participated in a 45 minute telephone interview. A polytomous logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the race difference in total number of prior mammograms (1, 2, 3, 4, 5+) persisted after adjustment for age, education, income, and insurance coverage (Odds ratio [OR]=1.374, p=.04), suggesting that other factors are needed to explain observed race differences. Significant race differences on a number of key psychosocial variables were demonstrated in these data, as were significant interactions between race and psychosocial factors in multivariate analyses (e.g., interaction between race and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer, p=.02). Number of prior mammograms was significantly associated with components of the Health Belief model among White women, but screening behavior of African Americans was significantly related to self-efficacy and physician recommendation. These findings suggest that interventions to promote screening in vulnerable populations must reflect race/ethnic specific processes.
Learning Objectives: At the end of session, participants should be able to: 1.Recognize key psychosocial factors that are associated with mammography use in a population of 1400 women 2.Identify race-specific processes that correlate with screening mammography utilization
Keywords: Mammography Screening, Underserved Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.