TESTING THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS OF MAMMOGRAPHY USE

The theory of care-seeking behavior was tested in the context of mammo graphy use among midwestern women (N = 178). In multivariate logistic regressions, mammography adherence in the past 5 years was related to habit, the interaction of anxiety and barriers, beliefs in one's risk of breast cancer, age, and family history of breast cancer. Recent use of mammograms (i.e., in the past 1 or 2 years, depending on age) was related to norm and habit. Intention was related to utility beliefs re garding mammography, norm, habit, and belief in one's risk of breast c ancer. As proposed from theory, anxiety and barriers interacted to inf luence adherence; the variables of habits, utility beliefs, and norm w ere related to either recent use or intention. Contrary to theory, bel ief in one's risk of breast cancer, age, and family history of breast cancer were related to adherence or intention after controlling for th eoretically derived variables. The explanatory variables for each outc ome were not identical, indicating that these mammography-related outc omes are characteristically different.