Mail versus telephone surveys on mammography utilization among women 50-75 years old

Surveys are needed to monitor trends in mammography use and to evaluate intervention programs aimed at increasing breast cancer screening. In a community-based intervention project in Long Island (New York), estimated response rates were similar in separate random surveys of women 50-75 years old by mail and telephone. Respondents by mail (n = 2,368) and telephone (n = 1,011) were similar in distributions of age, marital status, and educational level, and mail respondents did not have higher income levels than telephone respondents. Reported utilization of breast cancer screening tests was similar by survey mode. A statistically significant positive association between mammography utilization and income level was evident in both mail and telephone surveys. These findings should promote the consideration of mail surveys in other studies of the utilization of breast cancer screening tests by various health care organizations.