Factors Associated with Mammography Screening Among Women Living in Rural Areas

AIM: This study aims to assess the factors of mammography screening among women living in rural areas. METHOD: The study was planned in a cross-sectional type. The sample of the study consisted of 139 women admitted to two family health centers in Istanbul who were aged 40 and over, literate, not pregnant or breastfeeding, and not diagnosed with breast cancer. Data was collected between July and November 2018. Data were collected using interview form, Breast Cancer Health Belief Model Subscales of Susceptibility, health motivation, mammography benefits, mammography barriers, Mammography Self- Efficacy Scale, Breast Cancer Fear Scale, Breast Cancer Fatalism Scale, and Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Most of the women were in the age group of 40–50 years (66%), graduated primary school (69%), were married (91%), and were not working (80%). Most of the women had middle-income (78%) and health insurance (88%). In the study, the rate of having had mammography in the last 2 years was 25%. The rate of mammography screening was significantly higher in women who knew mammography, who had a referral for mammography screening from health professionals, and who had health insurance (p < .05). Perceived benefits to mammography, perceived barriers to mammography, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived health motivation were significantly higher in women having mammography (p < .05). CONCLUSION: In the study, marital status, receiving health professionals’ referral regarding mammography screening, mammography self-efficacy, perceived barriers to mammography, and breast cancer risk level (p < .05) were factors associated with having mammography.