How Important are Psychosocial Predictors of Mammography Receipt among Older Women When Immediate Access is Provided via On-Site Service?

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to examine the relative importance of psychosocial variables (i.e., health beliefs, knowledge, barriers) in predicting mammogram receipt compared with providing access through a mobile mammography unit among older women who participated in a mobile mammography intervention. Design. The data were collected during a randomized trial involving 499 women (60 to 84 years old) recruited from 60 community sites. Setting. The study was conducted at 60 sites in Los Angeles where seniors gather, including meal sites, senior centers, and recreational clubs. Subjects. Participants were older women (60 to 84 years old) who spoke English or Spanish, had a telephone, had no significant cognitive deficits, and had not received a mammogram during the past 12 months. Measures. The baseline survey assessed demographics and psychosocial factors (i.e., health beliefs, knowledge, barriers). A follow-up telephone survey at 3 months assessed mammography receipt. Results. Results support the importance of behavioral intentions in predicting mammogram receipt, even among women able to access a mammogram through the mobile unit. However, other recognized psychosocial factors failed to predict screening receipt among women randomized to the mobile mammography intervention. Results suggest that the importance of psychosocial predictors might be diminished when a major access barrier has been removed, and they highlight the importance of convenience. Conclusion. Future interventions should focus on not only removing obvious concrete and psychosocial barriers but also on enhancing convenience.