Timely Mammography Use among a Sample of Black American Women: A Community-Based Study

Breast cancer deaths are more common among Black American women than White women. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Black American women had a higher incidence rate (130.0) compared to White women (128.9). But it is the double burden of incidence and low survival that is particularly alarming (American Cancer Society, 2011). While research is underway to better understand the role that genes play, such as those that are associated with the aggressive triple negative breast cancer which is more commonly diagnosed in Black American women, there is more to learn about the utilization of the screening mammography. At the time this study was conducted the age controversy to receive a baseline screening was just beginning. The American Medical Association, the American College of Radiology, and the American Cancer Society all supported baseline screenings at age 40 but, currently the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend biennial screening for women aged 50 to 74 years who are at average risk for breast cancer. Furthermore, mammograms are not routinely recommended for women age 40 to 49 because they are more likely to have false biopsies. We do not yet know the long-term impact of implementing a longer timeline to screen for breast cancer. Although Black American women, have narrowed the gap, they still lag behind regarding mammography screening and are more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. This paper investigates the predictors of mammography use among a small, low-income, U.S. community-based sample of Black African American women age 42 and older.