Using focus group methodology to develop breast cancer screening programs that recruit African American women

Public communication campaigns are designed to increase the number of women who receive mammograms, breast examinations, and cervical exams. However, these campaigns have failed to recruit sufficient numbers of African American women. Focus group techniques were used to provide data to develop a communication campaign that would increase the knowledge, assess the attitudes, and change behaviors of African American women, aged 40-65, about the aforementioned preventive health practices. The discussions revealed that participants distrusted "clinics" and preferred being examined by "their own" or a private physician. Results further revealed that the personal influence of opinion leaders, combined with interpersonal contacts that encourage preventive care, help influence women to participate in mammography and cervical cancer screening.