Determinants of women's decision to undergo early mammography: A survey study

For young women, mammography has limited effectiveness and entails exposure to radiation, discomfort, and additional expense. This study identifies factors associated with women's willingness to undergo mammography despite official guidelines to the contrary. Using the Health Belief Model, we surveyed Israeli women aged 40-51 who are not at high risk of breast cancer and who had or had never undergone mammography. The results show that sociodemographic characteristics, private insurance coverage, out-of-pocket payments to physicians, and three Health Belief Model categories - lower perceived barriers to mammography, higher expectations of benefits, and stronger health motivation - are associated with the decision to undergo mammography. In addition, higher levels of perceived susceptibility to illness and experience with mammography are significant predictors of intentions to undergo early mammography. Understanding the determinants of women's tendency to undergo mammography contrary to recommendations may help nurses and healthcare policymakers to create health promotion programs targeting this group of women. Preventing unnecessary mammograms may reduce costs to households and health maintenance organizations, mitigate ineffective use of medical facilities, and alleviate the burden on the healthcare system.