Health Beliefs and Perceptions of Women Presenting or Not Presenting for Mammographic Screening in a Rural Health Setting

Abstract

Breast cancer continues to be a major health concern among Australian women. Recently, free mammography screening has been offered as a joint State and Commonwealth initiative to enable early detection. This program has particular significance in rural areas where access to health‐care facilities, particularly those of a specialist nature, is limited. Attendance for screening is critical to the success of this type of program. Several lines of evidence suggest that health beliefs play a major role in compliance with recommended health behaviour. The present study investigated the role of five health beliefs: response efficacy, seriousness, concern, susceptibility and barriers to the likelihood of attending the North Coast Breast Screening Program in northern NSW. A questionnaire that measured these health beliefs was completed by 127 women who attended breast screening and 185 women who knew about the service but had not attended. Compared with those who had not undergone mammography, those presenting for screening were more health conscious, more likely to have had a mammography previously, more aware that mammography reduced the risk of developing severe breast cancer and less concerned about having a mammogram. A number of barriers to having a mammogram were also identified. The present study raises a number of concerns regarding the level of knowledge about breast self‐examination and mammography as important preventive health measures among women in a rural setting.

Determining the Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Residential Women

“…For this reason, susceptibility scores of women who have regular mammograms are expected to be higher. Although the study of Speedy and Hase (2000) is consistent with our research, there are studies showing that susceptibility perceptions are not different among women who have regular mammograms compared to women who do not (Merey, 2002;Avci, 2007). Jirojwong and MacLennan (2002) show that the perception of susceptibility has an effect on BSE practice (Jironjwong and MacLennan, 2002).…”

“…The perceived benefits of mammography are the perceptions of positive results and benefits of mammography (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.5.3281 Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Women perceived benefits of mammography among women who have regular mammograms compared to women do not have mammograms. In the literature, there were no significant differences between the perceived benefits of mammography among women who had a mammogram compared to women who did not have a mammogram (Merey, 2002;Lee-Lin et al, 2007;Guney, 2009).…”

“…Self-efficacy represents individual competence in implementing a health practice (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009). In our study, perceptions of self-efficacy were significantly higher among women who implemented early diagnosis practices compared to women who did not implement early diagnosis practices (p<0.05, Table 3).…”

“…BSE barriers represent perceived internal and external barriers to performing BSE in breast cancer screening (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Guney, 2009;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008). In our study, the average perceived barriers to BSE score was 17.20 (±4.35).…”

Determining the Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Residential Women

“…For this reason, susceptibility scores of women who have regular mammograms are expected to be higher. Although the study of Speedy and Hase (2000) is consistent with our research, there are studies showing that susceptibility perceptions are not different among women who have regular mammograms compared to women who do not (Merey, 2002;Avci, 2007). Jirojwong and MacLennan (2002) show that the perception of susceptibility has an effect on BSE practice (Jironjwong and MacLennan, 2002).…”

“…The perceived benefits of mammography are the perceptions of positive results and benefits of mammography (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.5.3281 Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Women perceived benefits of mammography among women who have regular mammograms compared to women do not have mammograms. In the literature, there were no significant differences between the perceived benefits of mammography among women who had a mammogram compared to women who did not have a mammogram (Merey, 2002;Lee-Lin et al, 2007;Guney, 2009).…”

“…Self-efficacy represents individual competence in implementing a health practice (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009). In our study, perceptions of self-efficacy were significantly higher among women who implemented early diagnosis practices compared to women who did not implement early diagnosis practices (p<0.05, Table 3).…”

“…BSE barriers represent perceived internal and external barriers to performing BSE in breast cancer screening (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Guney, 2009;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008). In our study, the average perceived barriers to BSE score was 17.20 (±4.35).…”

Factors Influencing Mammography Participation in Canada: An Integrative Review of the Literature

“…Negative attitudes regarding mammography were also identified as barriers for populations in other countries 6,9 . Individual-directed strategies, media campaigns, and social networking interventions designed to ease such concerns may also be of benefit 68 .…”

Determining the Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Residential Women

“…For this reason, susceptibility scores of women who have regular mammograms are expected to be higher. Although the study of Speedy and Hase (2000) is consistent with our research, there are studies showing that susceptibility perceptions are not different among women who have regular mammograms compared to women who do not (Merey, 2002;Avci, 2007). Jirojwong and MacLennan (2002) show that the perception of susceptibility has an effect on BSE practice (Jironjwong and MacLennan, 2002).…”

“…The perceived benefits of mammography are the perceptions of positive results and benefits of mammography (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.5.3281 Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Women perceived benefits of mammography among women who have regular mammograms compared to women do not have mammograms. In the literature, there were no significant differences between the perceived benefits of mammography among women who had a mammogram compared to women who did not have a mammogram (Merey, 2002;Lee-Lin et al, 2007;Guney, 2009).…”

“…Self-efficacy represents individual competence in implementing a health practice (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009). In our study, perceptions of self-efficacy were significantly higher among women who implemented early diagnosis practices compared to women who did not implement early diagnosis practices (p<0.05, Table 3).…”

“…BSE barriers represent perceived internal and external barriers to performing BSE in breast cancer screening (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Guney, 2009;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008). In our study, the average perceived barriers to BSE score was 17.20 (±4.35).…”

Factors Influencing Mammography Participation in Canada: An Integrative Review of the Literature

“…Negative attitudes regarding mammography were also identified as barriers for populations in other countries 6,9 . Individual-directed strategies, media campaigns, and social networking interventions designed to ease such concerns may also be of benefit 68 .…”

Determining the Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Residential Women

“…For this reason, susceptibility scores of women who have regular mammograms are expected to be higher. Although the study of Speedy and Hase (2000) is consistent with our research, there are studies showing that susceptibility perceptions are not different among women who have regular mammograms compared to women who do not (Merey, 2002;Avci, 2007). Jirojwong and MacLennan (2002) show that the perception of susceptibility has an effect on BSE practice (Jironjwong and MacLennan, 2002).…”

“…The perceived benefits of mammography are the perceptions of positive results and benefits of mammography (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.5.3281 Awareness of and Compliance with Breast Cancer Screening among Turkish Women perceived benefits of mammography among women who have regular mammograms compared to women do not have mammograms. In the literature, there were no significant differences between the perceived benefits of mammography among women who had a mammogram compared to women who did not have a mammogram (Merey, 2002;Lee-Lin et al, 2007;Guney, 2009).…”

“…Self-efficacy represents individual competence in implementing a health practice (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008;Guney, 2009). In our study, perceptions of self-efficacy were significantly higher among women who implemented early diagnosis practices compared to women who did not implement early diagnosis practices (p<0.05, Table 3).…”

“…BSE barriers represent perceived internal and external barriers to performing BSE in breast cancer screening (Harrison et al, 1992;Speedy et al, 2000;Jironjwong et al, 2002;Gozum et al, 2004;Guney, 2009;Avci et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2007;Karayurt et al, 2008). In our study, the average perceived barriers to BSE score was 17.20 (±4.35).…”

Factors Influencing Mammography Participation in Canada: An Integrative Review of the Literature

“…Negative attitudes regarding mammography were also identified as barriers for populations in other countries 6,9 . Individual-directed strategies, media campaigns, and social networking interventions designed to ease such concerns may also be of benefit 68 .…”