Dare to take care of yourself: the relationship between psychological courage and the intention to undergo mammography screening.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the role of psychological courage (PC)-understood as the willingness to act despite fear or anxiety-in predicting women's intentions to undergo mammography screening. While PC has been linked to adaptive behavior in challenging contexts, its relevance in preventive healthcare remains largely unexplored.

METHODS

A sample of 292 women aged 45-74 with no history of breast cancer completed measures assessing PC, anxiety, cancer worry, perceived risk, and past screening behavior. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine whether PC predicted screening intentions above and beyond traditional psychological predictors.

RESULTS

PC emerged as a significant predictor of the intention to undergo mammography, even after accounting for anxiety, cancer worry, perceived risk, and prior screening. No evidence was found for interaction effects between PC and negative emotional variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings challenge fear-based models of health behavior by highlighting the role of positive psychological traits-specifically courage-in motivating preventive actions. As a potentially modifiable trait, PC may serve as a novel target for health communication and intervention strategies aimed at increasing participation in cancer screening programs.