title: Mammography utilization among Turkish women.
abstract: In Turkey, breast cancer is the leading type of cancer and cause of cancer-related deaths among women, but information is limited on mammography practices. The objectives of the present study were to identify associations between attitudes and knowledge about mammography and socio-demographic indicators and having a mammogram. The participants of this cross-sectional and descriptive study were 1,208 women who attended the primary health care unit serving as a training unit of the medical faculty or the outpatient clinic for breast diseases of the same medical faculty's hospital between October and December 2007. A printed questionnaire covering socio-demographic variables, family history of breast cancer, mammography practices, and attitudes and knowledge of mammography was filled out in face-to-face interviews with the authors. Women with previously diagnosed breast cancer were excluded from the study. We performed chi square and logistic regression analyses. We found that 12.7% of the women had no knowledge of mammography, and 57.3 % had never had a mammogram. Fifty point six percent of our study group reported that they had had a clinical breast examination at least once, and 51.1% were aware of breast self examination (BSE). Need factors such as age and health-system-related factors such as awareness of BSE and having CBE were found to be more important than the socio-economic factors in mammography use. Mammography was accepted by 92.3% as a useful screening method for early detection of breast cancer and as a necessity for women of 50 years and over by the 90.6% of the study group. We found a positive attitude towards mammography and its importance but limited usage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ganime
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sadikoglu
authors.forename: Alis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozcakir
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Sehsuvar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gokgoz
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilgel
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D014930:Women / Q000193:education*