Mammography use among women attending an inner-city clinic.
BACKGROUND
Low-income, minority, and inner city women have breast cancer screening rates that are below those of the general population.


METHODS
The authors surveyed women who received primary care at Seattle's county hospital about their mammography behaviors in early 1995. Data were analyzed within the context of the PRECEDE framework.


RESULTS
Only half (48%) of the women were obtaining regular screening. Breast cancer and mammography beliefs differed by racial group. The following factors differentiated between inner-city women who were and were not regular users: mammography beliefs concerning early detection of disease, pressure from the machine causing breast cancer, and cost (these were less important among white women than members of other racial groups); previous physician discussions, concerns about appointment scheduling, and transportation problems; and social support from physicians, family, and friends.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions to encourage regular screening among inner-city women should address predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors.
Taylor
V M
VM
Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA.
Thompson
B
B
Montano
D E
DE
Mahloch
J
J
Johnson
K
K
Li
S
S
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008327:Mammography / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019037:Urban Health Services; D014861:Washington / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health