Bs. Flynn et al., COMMUNITY EDUCATION-PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MAMMOGRAPHY PARTICIPATION IN RURAL NEW-YORK-STATE, Preventive medicine, 26(1), 1997, pp. 102-108
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Medicine, General & Internal
Background. Rural women are less likely to receive screening mammograp
hy at recommended intervals. This study evaluated efforts to promote s
creening mammography among women in rural communities through communit
y education interventions and low-cost mobile mammography van services
. Methods. Two matched sets of communities were identified in an isola
ted rural region. One area received community education programs in ad
dition to the mammography van for 2 years; the second area received on
ly the van services. The educational programs were designed using diag
nostic research methods; they included recruitment of opinion leaders
to organize small group breast screening education sessions, an inform
ation campaign using direct mail, and primary health care provider edu
cation. Results. A household telephone survey conducted 6 months after
completion of these programs indicated that mammography utilization a
nd perceived mammography norms were higher among women in the Program
area than among women in the Comparison area. Process data were consis
tent with these findings. Clinical examination and self-examination be
haviors were not influenced by the programs. Conclusions. This study s
howed that well-focused educational interventions for rural women can
increase utilization of screening mammography when access and cost bar
riers also are reduced. (C) 1997 Academic Press.