title: Women's perceptions of breast cancer screening. Spanish screening programme survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Participants in breast cancer screening programmes may benefit from early detection but may also be exposed to the risks of overdiagnosis and false positives. We surveyed a sample of Spanish women to assess knowledge, information sources, attitudes and psychosocial impact.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 434 breast cancer screening programme participants aged 45-69 years were administered questionnaires regarding knowledge, information sources, attitudes and psychosocial impact. Scores of 5 or more (out of 10) and 12 or less (out of 24) were established as indicating adequate knowledge and a positive attitude, respectively. Psychosocial impact was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Cancer Worry Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 42 women (9.7%) had adequate knowledge. The mean (SD) knowledge score was 2.97 (1.16). Better educated women and women without previous false positives had higher scores. The main sources of information were television, press, Andalusian Health Service documentation and family and friends. Most participants (99.1%) had a positive attitude, with a mean (SD) score of 3.21 (2.66). Mean (SD) scores for anxiety, depression and cancer worry were 1.86 (3.26), 0.72 (1.99) and 9.4 (3.04), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women have a very positive attitude to breast cancer screening, but are poorly informed and use television as their main information source. They experience no negative psychosocial impact from participation in such programmes.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain. Electronic address: josem.baena.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baena-Cañada
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosado-Varela
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Expósito-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Prevention Unit, Health Surveillance and Promotion, Health District Bay of Cádiz-La Janda, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nieto-Vera
authors.affiliation: Population Cancer Registry, Provincial Health Office, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Encarnación
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benítez-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D013030:Spain
keywords: Breast cancer; Cancer worry; Emotional state; Knowledge; Patient information; Screening