Stages of change: Korean women's attitudes and barriers toward mammography screening.
The positive and negative aspects of breast cancer screening were measured to gain insight into the barriers that prevent Korean women from participating in mammography screening. Breast cancer screening behaviors, attitudes, and barriers were identified from a convenience sample of 328 Korean women recruited in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Jeju, South Korea. Pros, cons, and decisional balance constructs of the transtheoretical model of behavior change were used to identify stages of change in attitude related to mammography screening. There were significant differences in pros (F = 5.175, p = .001) and cons (F = 3.357, p = .012) across the five stages of change for mammography. Participants indicated that the major barriers to mammography screening were, in order of frequency, the belief that an absence of symptoms meant there was no need for a breast examination, the high cost of breast cancer screening, lack of time, lack of information, embarrassment, fear about x-rays and test results, reliance on breast self-examination (BSE), and discomfort or pain. The benefits of breast cancer screening should be emphasized among Korean women.
Kang
Hee Sun
HS
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
Thomas
Eileen
E
Kwon
Bo Eun
BE
Hyun
Myung-Sun
MS
Jun
Eun Mi
EM
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health