Acceptability of mobile mammography among community-dwelling older women.
OBJECTIVE
To test the acceptability of mobile mammography among community-dwelling older women and to identify factors predictive of mobile mammography acceptance.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
Twelve community meal sites sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Area on Aging.


METHODS
Two hundred fifty-five volunteers aged 60 to 84 years who attended community meal sites.


METHODS
On-site mammography offered to women who had not had a mammogram within the last year.


METHODS
Mammography acceptance rates, reasons for accepting or declining the mammogram, and breast cancer knowledge, beliefs, and intentions.


RESULTS
One hundred seven of the 255 (42%) women were ineligible because they had received mammograms within the last year. Of the 148 women eligible, 57% accepted the mammograms and 43% declined; moreover, 20 of the 42 (48%) women who had not had a mammogram within the last 5 years or who never had a mammogram also accepted on-site mammography in the mobile van. Variables identified as predictive of mammogram acceptance included Asian American status, not being an HMO member, being married, a reported willingness to accept a screening mammogram if recommended by a physician, and previous mammogram screening history.


CONCLUSIONS
Mobile mammography is acceptable to many older community-dwelling women. Although mobile mammography does not eliminate all barriers that inhibit a woman from receiving a mammogram, it may substantially increase screening for some groups.
Levin
J R
JR
Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, UCLA School of Medicine 90095-1687, USA.
Hirsch
S H
SH
Bastani
R
R
Ganz
P A
PA
Lovett
M L
ML
Reuben
D B
DB
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008393:Marriage; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People