Mammography Screening Utilization Behavior among Egyptian Female Employees in Alexandria | ||
| Journal of High Institute of Public Health | ||
| Article 8, Volume 48, Issue 2, October 2018, Pages 114-124 PDF (469.54 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jhiph.2018.19918 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Seham Diab1; Iman Wahdan* 2; Ensaf Abdel Gawwad3; Sunny Sallam2 | ||
| 1Alexandria Regional Center for Women’s and Health Development, Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of Epidemiology, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||
| 3Department of Health Administration and Behavioral Sciences, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Breast cancer (BC) has become a health priority due to its increasing incidence. It is curable when detected at an early stage, so there is an urgent need for its early detection. Mammography screening (MS) is the main recommended test for early detection of BC. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess MS utilization behavior among female employees and to identify some factors based on the Health Belief Model that determines the likelihood of MS utilization behavior in terms of: health beliefs, knowledge about BC and its risk factors, and access and need for MS. Methods: The study was conducted among 400 female employees aged 40 years and older in four workplace sectors in Alexandria using a cross sectional approach. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, habits, reproductive history, family history, culture affiliation, access to MS, reproductive health screening behavior, MS utilization behavior, need for MS, knowledge about BC and MS, perceptions towards BC and MS, perceived threat (susceptibility and severity), perceived benefits and perceived barriers to MS, (personal barriers, economic barriers, health care system barriers). Results: More than two thirds of females (69.7%) had bad MS utilization. Seventy two percent of females had poor knowledge about BC protective factors, signs and symptoms and risk factors of BC and about MS. The perception of the studied females was high concerning susceptibility and seriousness of BC and benefits of screening but there were some perceived personal, economic and health care system barriers to MS. Multiple linear regression analysis of the factors predicting MS utilization shows that age, accessibility, perceived need, total knowledge of BC, MS, and occupation sector were the significant predictors. Conclusion: The majority of female employees had poor knowledge about BC and MS. Increasing the females’ knowledge about BC and accessibility to screening areas are important strategies influencing their decisions about whether or not to participate in cancer preventive practices. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| breast cancer; mammography screening; screening utilization | ||
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