title: Relationship of social support and social burden to repeated breast cancer screening in the women's health initiative.
abstract: Direct and interactive effects of social support, social burden (caregiving, negative life events, and social strain), education, and income on repeated use of breast cancer screening among a large (N=55,278), national sample of postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative observational study were examined. Repeated screening decreased as emotional/informational support and positive social interactions decreased (ps<.01). Repeated mammography decreased with frequent caregiving (p<.01). Less social strain reduced the frequency of repeated breast self-examinations (BSEs; ps<.01), but frequent caregiving and more negative life events increased repeated use of BSE (ps<.01). Interactive effects suggested that emotional/informational but not tangible support is associated with repeated mammography and clinical breast examinations (ps<.01) and may be particularly important among low-income older women, especially those burdened by caregiving.
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University, Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8036, USA. cmessina@notes.cc.sunysb.edu.
authors.forename: Catherine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Dorothy S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glanz
authors.forename: Delia Smith
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Frishman
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data