Mammography adherence and beliefs in a sample of low-income African American women

The purpose of this article is to describe the relation of perceptions of perceived breast cancer risks and perceived benefits and barriers to mammography and stage of mammography adherence in a convenience sample of low-income African American women. The theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model and the Transtheoretical Model were used to identify concepts and stage of mammography adherence. Data were obtained in waiting rooms of multipurpose centers. Scores for susceptibility and benefits were lowest for those who were in (a) precontemplation (had not thought about having a mammogram); as compared to (b) contemplation (had thought about having a mammogram, but not yet acted); (c) action (had a mammogram as recommended by the American Cancer Society); and (d) relapse (had a mammogram in the past, but overdue). Barriers scores were highest for those who had not had a mammogram (precontemplators and contemplators). In addition, individual barriers were significantly lower for women in action. Results have implications for interventions to increase screening in low-income African American women.