Do Appalachian Women Attending a Mobile Mammography Program Differ from Those Visiting a Stationary Mammography Facility?

Abstract

To compare the characteristics (demographic, access to care, health-related behavioral, self and family medical history, psychosocial) of women aged 40 years and above who utilize a mobile mammography unit with those women aged 40 years and above who obtain mammography screening at a stationary facility. A cross-sectional study design was used with participant cohorts comprised of women age 40 years and above throughout West Virginia (WV) who utilized mobile mammography unit to get mammogram and those who had mammography screening at the stationary facility and completed the Mammography Screening and Preventive Care Survey. A total of 1,161 women who utilized the mobile mammography unit and 1,104 women who utilized stationary facility were included in the analysis. In logistic regression after adjusting for all the variables, women who utilized mobile mammography unit were more likely to be in age group 40–49, with lower income, with no health insurance coverage, not visit doctor or obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) in the past year, not adherent to clinical breast exam and mammography screening guidelines, with lower perceived five-year risk of developing breast cancer and with high knowledge about mammography screening. Women who utilize mobile unit are not adherent to mammography screening guidelines thereby suggesting that the mobile mammography unit is indeed reaching a rural vulnerable population who may not routinely access preventive health services. Financial and insurance constraints, as well as access to medical care, restricted WV women from receiving mammography screening from the stationary screening facilities.

Mobile Screening Units for the Early Detection of Cancer: A Systematic Review

“…Some studies reported patients' travel to the MSU location to be fairly minimal, with average distances traveled by clients to reach MSU sites of 4.5-34 km (38)(39)(40). One study from the United Kingdom found MSUs were located substantially closer to patients than Community access to screening Several MSU programs aimed to increase community access to screening (24,34,(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48). An increased screening rate from 44.3% to 63.4% was reported in regions served exclusively by MSUs in Quebec, Canada over a course of eight years (14).…”

Mobile Mammography Participation Among Medically Underserved Women: A Systematic Review

“…Using a 1-year guideline for mammographic screening, one study ( 14 ) reported that 34% of mobile mammography users were currently adherent to screening guidelines, whereas 57% of users at fixed sites were. Similarly, another study ( 15 ) found that women using mobile mammography were 91% less likely than users at fixed sites to have had a screening mammogram within the past 2 years. Sociodemographically, mobile mammography users were more likely than users at fixed sites to be uninsured, have incomes below $25,000, be African American or Latina, and report being single ( 14 , 15 ).…”

“…Mobile sites versus fixed sites. Of the 4 studies that compared mobile sites with fixed sites, 2 studies ( 14 , 15 ) examined the rate of adherence to screening guidelines and found that mobile mammography users had lower previous rates of adherence than users at fixed sites ( Table ). Using a 1-year guideline for mammographic screening, one study ( 14 ) reported that 34% of mobile mammography users were currently adherent to screening guidelines, whereas 57% of users at fixed sites were.…”

PHS57 Comparing Predictors of Self-Reported Adherence to Mammography Screening Guidelines in Appalachian Women Who Utilize Mobile and Stationary Facilities

“…The details of the non-response bias assessment are described elsewhere. 22 Non-respondents were significantly more likely to be unemployed, and had less than college-level education.…”