Mammobox and breast meeting: is there any effect on screening?

Abstract

In order to raise the participation in breast cancer screening of low educated women from the age of 50 to 69 years, intercultural mediators were trained to use the ‘mammobox’ and to organise ‘breast meetings’. The mammobox is an educational game on the importance of preventive screening. A breast meeting is a very informal homelike meeting of women talking about breast related matters and screening. By means of a telephonic survey by 100 participants chosen ad random we measured the effects of these target group interventions. We found a positive attitude towards preventive screening and a great deal of women participated in screening as a result of the interventions. Also their self-efficacy on medical examination was found to be positive. In contrast with the Dutch and Italian speaking women the Turkish women asked for screenings organised in group and escorted by a mediator. Information alone is not sufficient to overcome their practical problems, such as language and mobility.