BARRIERS TO SCREENING - THE THEORY OF REASONED ACTION APPLIED TO MAMMOGRAPHY USE IN A MILITARY BENEFICIARY POPULATION

Background: Mammography practices of women eligible for military healt h care are not known. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to a stratif ied sample of 500 military beneficiary women. The hypothesis was that this group would not differ from the general population in regular mam mography use (31%) and that the theory of reasoned action (TRA) is sig nificantly associated with intent to obtain a mammogram. Results: Only 12.8% of these women had regular mammography according to current rec ommendations. High participation is associated with breast cancer risk factors, income, education, perceived risk of breast cancer, and a do ctor's recommendation. The expanded model of the TRA regression is sig nificantly associated with intent. Conclusions: Regular use of mammogr aphy among military beneficiaries is lower than rates in the non-milit ary population. Providers need to stress regular use and address sched uling problems and patient beliefs about mammography. The TRA is a use ful model for screening behavior.