THE EFFECTS OF A STATE-WIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN ON MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING

A media campaign was constructed to promote mammography screening in N orth Dakota. The media included radio and newspaper advertisements tha t emphasized personal vulnerability to breast cancer. Persons in north ern North Dakota were exposed to the ads; persons in southern North Da kota were not. Surveys conducted after the campaign showed that interv ention women were aware of the ads. A state-wide longitudinal survey ( N = 383) also suggested that the campaign may have influenced women wh o had been screened previously to have a repeat screening. However, th e ads may have adversely affected those women who had never been scree ned. We discuss comparisons between media attempts and other strategie s that can potentially influence health behavior in rural areas.