The effect of health beliefs about mammography and breast cancer and reminding through telephone on screening mammography again

Women aged 40 and above, are advised to take mammography every one or two years for the early diagnosis and treatment of the breast cancer while the women, aged 50 and above, are advised to do so every year.

The study was conducted to determine the effect of the women’s (aged 40 and above) health beliefs about breast cancer and mammography on their intention to take mammography again and the effect of reminding mammography appointment on the phone on the mammography.

The study, descriptive and prospective, was conducted with data from 740 out of 1372 women, who were reached via telephone, applied to the Erzurum Cancer Scanning and Training Center previously and took mammography, whose telephone numbers were available and who would have the second appoinment as of January, 2008 (54%). Descriptive form, breast cancer risk evaluation form, the scale of the health belief model of breast cancer and mammography, which were used to collect data, were filled through telephone contacts and the appointments were reminded. Women’s states of mammography screening were established through registers of CSTC.

It was determined that women’s perceptions of susceptibility, seriousness and health motivation, who do not take positive stance towards mammography, are lower than those who do and  their perception of barrier for mammography was higher. Health beliefs about the benefits of mammography were found the same in both groups. Twenty nine out of 740 women (3.9%), reached through telephone, screening mammography in other health centers before. The remaining 330 out of 711 women (46.4) screened mammography again after the call.

Health professionals can reduce the barrier perception of mammography and can provide the continuity in mammography controls. It was stated that reminding women of the appointments, registered in mammography center, was effective in consolidating the behaviour.