Table 4.
Knowledge about breast cancer risk factors by mammogram screening status (n = 110)
| Which of the following things increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer? (yes) | Compliant (n = 52) | Ever had test but not compliant (n = 43) | Never had test (n = 15) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting older | 36 (69%) | 25 (58%) | 10 (67%) | 0.5 |
| Giving birth to 1st child after age 30 | 11 (21%) | 9 (21%) | 4 (27%) | > 0.9 |
| Using birth control pills | 28 (54%) | 23 (53%) | 9 (60%) | > 0.9 |
| Having breast implants | 38 (73%) | 37 (86%) | 6 (40%) | 0.003 |
| Starting menstruation before age 12 | 16 (31%) | 8 (19%) | 4 (27%) | 0.4 |
| Family history of breast cancer | 46 (88%) | 38 (88%) | 9 (60%) | 0.032 |
| Drinking excessive alcohol | 33 (63%) | 24 (56%) | 7 (47%) | 0.5 |
| Being overweight or obese | 28 (54%) | 23 (53%) | 7 (47%) | 0.9 |
| Not being physically active | 26 (50%) | 25 (58%) | 9 (60%) | 0.7 |
| Not having children | 15 (29%) | 9 (21%) | 4 (27%) | 0.7 |
| A diet low in fruits and vegetables | 25 (48%) | 17 (40%) | 8 (53%) | 0.6 |
| A diet low in fiber | 27 (52%) | 21 (49%) | 10 (67%) | 0.5 |
| A diet high in fat | 43 (83%) | 34 (79%) | 12 (80%) | > 0.9 |
| A diet high in processed meats | 39 (75%) | 30 (70%) | 12 (80%) | 0.8 |
| Smoking | 43 (83%) | 39 (91%) | 10 (67%) | 0.1 |
| Receiving hits or bruises to the breast | 24 (46%) | 28 (65%) | 5 (33%) | 0.056 |
| Excessive fondling of the breast | 11 (21%) | 11 (26%) | 3 (20%) | 0.9 |
| Being exposed to medical X-rays | 31 (60%) | 28 (65%) | 8 (53%) | 0.7 |
| Using preservatives in food | 24 (46%) | 17 (40%) | 6 (40%) | 0.8 |
| Having many sexual partners | 22 (42%) | 16 (37%) | 4 (27%) | 0.5 |
| Breast feeding | 14 (27%) | 6 (14%) | 1 (6.7%) | 0.2 |
n (%). Pearson’s Chi-squared test; Fisher’s exact test
Bold text—more medically reasonable risk factors; Italics—less medically reasonable risk factors