Acceptability of mobile mammography among community-dwelling older women.

OBJECTIVE

To test the acceptability of mobile mammography among community-dwelling older women and to identify factors predictive of mobile mammography acceptance.

DESIGN

Case series.

SETTING

Twelve community meal sites sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Area on Aging.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred fifty-five volunteers aged 60 to 84 years who attended community meal sites.

INTERVENTION: On-site mammography offered to women who had not had a mammogram within the last year.

MEASUREMENTS: Mammography acceptance rates, reasons for accepting or declining the mammogram, and breast cancer knowledge, beliefs, and intentions.

MAIN

RESULTS

One hundred seven of the 255 (42%) women were ineligible because they had received mammograms within the last year. Of the 148 women eligible, 57% accepted the mammograms and 43% declined; moreover, 20 of the 42 (48%) women who had not had a mammogram within the last 5 years or who never had a mammogram also accepted on-site mammography in the mobile van. Variables identified as predictive of mammogram acceptance included Asian American status, not being an HMO member, being married, a reported willingness to accept a screening mammogram if recommended by a physician, and previous mammogram screening history.

CONCLUSION

Mobile mammography is acceptable to many older community-dwelling women. Although mobile mammography does not eliminate all barriers that inhibit a woman from receiving a mammogram, it may substantially increase screening for some groups.