title: Effects of a web-based intervention on women's breast health behaviors.
abstract: Helping women make choices to reduce cancer risk and to improve breast health behaviors is important, but the best ways to reach more people with intervention assistance is not known. To test the efficacy of a web-based intervention designed to help women make better breast health choices, we adapted our previously tested, successful breast health intervention package to be delivered on the Internet, and then we tested it in a randomized trial. We recruited women from the general public to be randomized to either an active intervention group or a delayed intervention control group. The intervention consisted of a specialized website providing tailored and personalized risk information to all participants, followed by offers of additional support if needed. Follow-up at one-year post randomization revealed significant improvements in mammography screening in intervention women compared with control women (improvement of 13 percentage points). The intervention effects were more powerful in women who increased breast health knowledge and decreased cancer worry during intervention. These data indicate that increases in mammography can be accomplished in population-based mostly insured samples by implementing this simple, low resource intensive intervention.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA. dbowen@uw.org.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Hendrika
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meischke
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Abi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., MP-900, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wooldridge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005820:Genetic Testing; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017216:Telemedicine; D014932:Women's Health Services; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Genetic testing; Mammography screening; Randomized trial; Web/Internet intervention