title: Breast cancer screening behaviors among African American women with a strong family history of breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the importance of breast cancer screening to reduce morbidity and mortality, limited information is available on screening practices among African American women with a family history that is suggestive of hereditary breast cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe adherence to breast cancer screening recommendations among African American women with a family history that is suggestive of hereditary disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were unaffected African American women (n=65) who had a family history of cancer that was suggestive of hereditary breast cancer. Breast cancer screening practices were evaluated by self-report. The study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Women were recruited to participate in the study from February 2003-December 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most women were adherent to recommendations for mammography (75%) and CBE (93%). A sizeable minority of women (41%) also performed excessive BSE. Being older than age 50 was associated significantly with mammography adherence (FET<0.05). Employment had a significant independent association with BSE; unemployed women were most likely to perform excessive BSE (OR=3.28, 95% CI: 1.05, 10.21, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest a complex pattern of breast cancer screening practices among African American women at increased risk for hereditary breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. Chanita@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Chanita Hughes
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Halbert
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: E Paul
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Wileyto
authors.forename: Benita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weathers
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stopfer
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Domchek
authors.forename: Aliya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Kiyona
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brewster
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015143:Philadelphia