CANCER ANXIETY AND ATTITUDES TOWARD MAMMOGRAPHY AMONG SCREENING ATTENDERS, NONATTENDERS, AND WOMEN NEVER INVITED

A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted among the following groups : 179 women who screened false positive at a free mammography screenin g; a random sample of 250 women who screened negative; 670 nonattender s of the screening; and a random population sample of 250 women who li ved in another city and were not invited, but were otherwise comparabl e. The most frequently reported reason for nonattendance was not havin g the opportunity. Furthermore, only 18% of the nonattenders reported anxiety about breast cancer compared with 33% of the population sample (P < .05). Ninety-nine percent of the women who attended indicated a positive attitude toward mammography that had not been adversely affec ted by screening experiences.