9th February 2004
The issue of anxiety around mammography is a
complex one, and saying that women experience stress at the prospect of a
mammogram and at the time of having one is true, but that does not necessarily
mean a woman will refuse to go ahead and have one, or that the anxiety is
in any way toxic.
My regret around this submission is the very short time I was given to
produce such an important document.
I am not prepared to write a sub standard article, so what I will give you is a
brief outline of some of the results from several pieces of research in this
area, and you may be able to use them is verbal discussions during the
submission process.
1 We know that screening behaviour is determined by a specific pattern of
cognitions and affects. In particular, women are more likely to obtain a
mammogram if the health message results in a level of cancer worry that
motivates rather than interfers with the "actioning"of the woman's
behavioural intentions.To achieve that the educational messages need to be
designed to acknowledge the feelings of cancer-specific worry and to provide
guidence in health protective behaviours. A well constructed message will go a
long way to aleviating worry and increasing compliance.
2 Educational health messages that emphasize personal vulnerability ie 'my
chances of getting breast cancer at this stage of my life' are typically
related to an increased liklihood of mammography screening. This is a
conclusion of the meta-analysis quotd below.
The basic summary of the above is that by explaining and reassuring, worry
around mammography can be kept at levels that supportive of participation in,
and continued use of a screening programme, at any age.
References; What is The Relationship Between Breast cancer Risk and Mammography
screening?A Meta-Analytic review.
Kevin D McCaul et al., Health Psychology 1966,Vol15,No 6 423-429
Specific Worry About Breast Cancer Predicts Mammography Use in Women for Breast
and Ovarian Cancer.
Micheal A.Diefenbach Et Al., Health psychology 1999,Vol 18, No 5, 532-536
Danute Ziginskas