Abstract B85: Chinese American women's beliefs in mammogram.
Authors: Vallina Helen , Kim Karen 
Published: August 2014

Objectives: From the Theory of Planned Action (TPA), a woman's intention to have a mammogram can be determined by three factors: the woman's attitudes toward breast cancer screening, the social normative influence of the people who are important in her life, and her perception of the ease with having a mammogram. These determinants are from corresponding sets of beliefs. TPA posits that individual behavior is driven by behavioral intention. Thus, a woman's beliefs in mammogram will influence her intention toward screening, and eventually to carry out the behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore beliefs in mammogram among Chinese American women and to examine how these beliefs influence screening intention.

Methods: A total of 212 participants were recruited from a homemaker program at a Chinese community-based organization located in the Midwest. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire on their beliefs in mammogram prior to an educational program on breast cancer screening. The questionnaire was developed by modifying Rakowski's Decisional Balance Scale on Mammography, which included six positive statements and six negative statements. A belief score was calculated by adding all 12 scores from each item. A higher belief score indicated that the participant has more positive beliefs. Screening behaviors were measured by asking participants whether they had a mammogram in the past 10 years, and whether they planned to have a mammogram in the next 1 to 2 years.

Results: Sixty-two percent of the participants reported that they had a mammogram in the past 10 years and nearly 78% intended to have a mammogram within the next 1-2 years. Participants who were younger (p = .045) and who had more years of education (p = .039) were more likely to plan to have a mammogram in the next 1-2 years. The belief score was significantly associated with participants' history of breast cancer screening (p &lt; .0005), yearly family income (p = .03) and years of education (p = .01). Both belief score and having a mammogram in the past significantly predicted the intention to have a mammogram in the next 1-2 years, and accounted for 25% (Cox & Snell) to 38% (Nagelkerke) of the variances. Even after considering for years of education and age, both predictors remained significant (p &lt; .0005).

Conclusion: Our study finds that Chinese American women's beliefs in mammogram not only had a significant impact on their past breast cancer screening but also their intention to have a mammogram in the future. Chinese American women who had more positive beliefs in mammogram were more likely to have a mammogram in the past 10 years and plan to have a mammogram in the next 1 – 2 years. Having a mammogram in the past and having more positive beliefs in mammogram significantly predicted the intention to have a mammogram, even after controlling for years of education and age.

Citation Format: Helen Vallina, Karen Kim. Chinese American women's beliefs in mammogram. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B85.