Factors Related to Breast Cancer Screening in Women in the Northern Part of Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and affects many women around the world each year. Breast cancer screening is one of the best strategies that can be used to reduce the death rate from the disease. Different factors influence the breast cancer screening rate. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect the screening of women for breast cancer in the northern part of Iran. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mazandaran Province of Iran in 2016 on 1,165 women who participate in breast cancer screening programs, using a cluster-sampling method. A valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the data. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS 21. RESULTS: In this study, 62% of the women had a history of breast self-examinations, 41.1% had breast examinations by healthcare staff, and 21.7% received mammography. The woman’s age, age at first marriage, age at onset of sexual intercourse, occupation, spouse’s occupation, household income, health status, history of infertility, smoking, and decision-maker on issues of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) were the best predictors of participation in screening for breast cancer (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: To encourage participation in breast cancer screening programs, women should be encouraged to seek preventive care. Also, factors that