title: Knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and cancer screening among inner-city African-American women.
abstract: Three hundred twenty-one inner-city African-American women were interviewed to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding cancer and cancer screening, and their cancer screening histories. The women were recruited from a variety of sources in Atlanta and were interviewed in their homes by trained lay health workers. Half of the subjects had an annual household income of < $15,000. About half had received a Pap smear and clinical breast examination within the year preceding the interviews. For women > 35 years old, 35% had received a mammogram within the recommended interval. Younger women and women with higher incomes were more likely than older women and those with lower incomes to have received a Pap test and clinical breast examination within the preceding year, but income was not significantly associated with mammography histories. In general, women who were more knowledgeable about cancer and its prevention were more likely to have been appropriately screened. However, various attitudes and beliefs regarding cancer generally were not associated with screening histories. We conclude that cancer screening programs for inner-city minority women should focus on improving knowledge levels among older women rather than attempting to alter attitudes and beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alema-Mensah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data