Congress Abstracts 2004

20

FACTORS RELATED TO THE STAGE OF MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING BASED ON A TRANSTHEORETICAL MODEL IN KOREAN WOMEN. Hea Kung Hur, PhD, RN, So Mi Park, and Gi Yon Kim, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.

The incidence of breast cancer in Korean women has increased to the second highest for cancers in 2002. Survival is closely related to stage at detection, and mammography screening is the most effective technique for early detection of breast cancer. While much research has focused on understanding breast self examination behavior in Korea, recent research has been done on mammography screening behavior.

The purpose of this cross sectional descriptive study was to examine factors related to different stages of mammography screening based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and Health Belief Model (HBM).

TTM presumes that all persons are not at the same point of adopting a specified health activity, for example, mammography. Health belief has a focus on behavior related to the prevention of disease.

Participants were 143 women recruited from community centers in Wonju. The mean age was 44.08 (SD = 7.78) and 74 (51.7%) had experienced education on preventive behavior related to breast cancer. The Decisional Balance Scale (pros and cons of mammography) and Stages of Adoption of Mammography Scale by Rakowski et al. (1992) and the revised Health Belief Model Scale (Perceived Seriousness, Perceived Susceptibility and Health Motivation) by Champion (1993) were used.

Data were analyzed using frequencies, one-way ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression.

The results show that according to the stage of adoption of mammography, 17.4% of the women were in pre-contemplation, 45.5% in contemplation, 24.5% in action, and 12.6% in maintenance. The mean differences for pros, decisional balances, and health motivation between the stages of mammography adoption were significant (F = 8.84, p = .000; F = 7.21, p = .000; F = 4.63, p = .081). Education related to prevention of breast cancer (the most important variable), history of breast disease, and pros of mammography explained the stages of mammography adoption (R2 = 26%). Findings support TTM as useful for improving mammography adherence, but variables related to health belief were not supported. Behavioral interventions that target decisional balance and health belief can effectively promote adherence to mammography.