Effects of Personal Characteristics on African-American Women's Beliefs About Breast Cancer

Purpose. This study measured the effect of demographic and clinical characteristics on health and cultural beliefs related to mammography. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. Interviews were conducted during 2003 and 2004 in a Midwestern urban area. Subjects. Subjects were 344 low-income African-American women 40 years and older who had not had mammography within the previous 18 months. Measures. The instrument measured personal characteristics, belief and knowledge scales, and participants' mammography experience and plans. Analysis. Multiple regression analysis assessed the effect of specific demographic and clinical characteristics on each of the scale values and on subjects' stages of readiness to change. Results. The subjects' levels of education significantly affected six of the 12 belief and knowledge scales. Higher-educated women felt less susceptible to breast cancer, had higher self-efficacy, had less fear, had lower fatalism scores, were less likely to be present-time oriented, and were more knowledgeable about breast cancer. Older women felt they were less susceptible to breast cancel; had higher fatalism scores, were more present-time oriented, and were less knowledgeable about breast cancer. Conclusions. The findings suggest that mammography promotion programs for African-Americans should consider the education levels and ages of the target women to be most effective. (Am J Health Promot 2010;24[6]:371-377.)