Abstract
To evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice related to mammography among women users of local health services, identifying barriers to its performance. A total of 663 women were interviewed at 13 local health centers in a city of Southeastern Brazil, in 2001. Interviewees were randomly selected at each center and they were representative from different socioeconomic conditions. The number of interviewees at each center was proportional to monthly mean appointments. For data analysis, answers were described as knowledge, attitude, practice and their respective adequacies and then they were correlated with control variables through the chi-square test. Only 7.4% of the interviewees had adequate knowledge on mammography, while 97.1% of women had an adequate attitude. The same was seen for the practice of mammography that was adequate in 35.7% of the cases. The main barrier to mammography was lack of referral by physicians working at the health center (81.8%). There was an association between adequacy of attitude and five years or more of education and being married. There was also an association between adequacy of mammography practice and being employed and family income up to four minimum wages. Women users of local health services had no adequate knowledge and practice related to mammography despite having an adequate attitude about this exam.
Highlights
Breast cancer is the second most common neoplasia and the first leading cause of cancer death among Brazilian women
The same was seen for the practice of mammography that was adequate in 35.7% of the cases
The main barrier to mammography was lack of referral by physicians working at the health center (81.8%)
Summary
Breast cancer is the second most common neoplasia and the first leading cause of cancer death among Brazilian women. There were 48,930 new cases in Brazil in 2006, a standardized incidence rate of 52 per 100,000 women.a. Primary randomized controlled trials (RCT) have showed the importance of mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer in asymptomatic women. Primary randomized controlled trials (RCT) have showed the importance of mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer in asymptomatic women It has been the most efficient resource for decreasing disease mortality, especially in women aged 50 to 69 years,[6,12,19,22] with reductions of 20% to 35%. Breast cancer screening in community practices may be different from that in RCT.[6]. Studies showed that low-income women have more difficult access to mammography.[1,8] Besides the economic issue, there are other difficulties: fear of irradiation, obstacles of public services,[15,17] and pain, discomfort, and anxiety about the screening.[6]
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