Participation in breast screening programs: A review

Despite recommendations by the American Cancer Society and other organizations for use of screening mammography, data on reported utilization of this procedure by American women show that these guidelines are not being met. We reviewed published studies that reported participation rates or that examined factors associated with participation in selected breast screening programs. In general, women at high risk due to age and family or personal history of breast disease were not more likely to participate in breast screening programs than women without those risk factors. The one group of variables that was fairly consistently associated with participation was the practice of other preventive health behaviors. Women who expressed more concern about their health and who were more knowledgeable about breast cancer screening and its benefits also were more likely to complete mammography. Approaches to increasing participation are discussed in the context of the literature on this subject.