An opportunity to address modifiable breast cancer risks: Mammography screening and physical activity readiness to change

Breast cancer risk is significantly reduced by improvements in lifestyle factors such as physical activity. Previous work suggests personal experiences such as false positive mammography or family history of breast cancer may influence these health behaviors. Surveys were distributed to women aged 40–75 who had received a negative mammogram from an academic hospital in Virginia in 2015. Measures assessed breast cancer worry and perceived risk, awareness of cancer risk factors, family history of breast cancer, false positive mammography experience, and readiness to change physical activity. Surveys were collected from 106 women. The regression for readiness to change physical activity was significant, F(7, 91) = 3.7, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.22. Physical activity readiness to change was positively associated with income (p = 0.034) and receipt of a false positive mammogram (p = 0.045). African American women (p = 0.031) and women with family history of breast cancer (p = 0.027) reported lower readiness to change physical activity. Results support previous qualitative work suggesting the receipt of a false positive mammogram may stimulate motivation to increase physical activity. Mammography screening may serve as a strategic opportunity to target modifiable breast cancer risk factors at a time when women are highly receptive to a lifestyle change intervention.