Abstract
Among women aged 50 to 69 years, regular screening by mammography in combination with clinical examination, can substantially decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with breast cancer by facilitating early detection. Unfortunately, many Canadian women are not screened in accordance with current guidelines. Research to date is based primarily on large surveys conducted in the United States and less is known about the relevance of specific barriers to mammography screening among Canadian women.
Multivariate results from the 1994–95 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) indicate that younger (40–49) and older (70+) women, those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and minority women are least likely to report having had a mammogram. Conversely, women with positive health behaviours, high social support, and positive mental health attributes are more likely to participate in mammography screening. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications for developing successful intervention programs for Canadian women and for setting priorities for further research.
Résumé
Des examens réguliers de mammographie peuvent diminuer substantiellement la morbidité et la mortalité associées au cancer du sein en facilitant le dépistage le plus tôt possible, chez les femmes âgées de 50 à 69 ans. Malheureusement, conformément aux lignes directrices actuelles, beaucoup de femmes canadiennes ne subissent pas de test de dépistage. La recherche à ce jour est basée principalement sur des études à grande échelle menées aux États-Unis et on en sait très peu sur la relation entre les barrières spécifiques et les tests de dépistage de mammographie chez les femmes canadiennes.
Les résultats multivariés de l’Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population de 1994–1995 indiquent que les femmes plus jeunes (40–49) et plus âgées (70+), celles qui sont socio-économiquement désavantagées, et les femmes minoritaires sont les moins susceptibles de rapporter avoir passé une mammographie. Inversement, les femmes avec des comportements de santé positifs, un soutien social élevé, et des attributs de santé mentale positive sont plus susceptibles de participer à des examens de dépistage par mammographie. Ces résultats sont discutés en fonction des implications au niveau du développement de programmes d’intervention à succès pour les femmes canadiennes et au niveau de l’établissement des priorités pour les recherches futures.
Footnotes
This research was funded by the Disease Prevention Division of Health Canada.
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