Assessing Interval Adherence to Mammography Screening

Grant #: Career Development Award
PI Name: Carney P.
Title: Assessing Interval Adherence to Mammography Screening
Institute: American Cancer Society

The overarching goal of this study is to assess and improve interval adherence to mammography screening. Interventions to improve adherence to regular mammography screening have had conflicting results. Many studies have depended on women's self-report rather than clinical evidence of a mammography encounter. This study will take advantage of a population-based mammography registry where actual mammographic events are recorded. To achieve the study goal, two aims will be undertaken. First, an observational study of women who do and who do not adhere to routine screening (using a 26-month interval) will be conducted to identify factors associated with adherence to screening. Secondly, the investigators will test the effect of two interventions to determine if adherence to screening could be improved. The interventions will include a mailing of women's health information and a tailored telephone counseling intervention based on the Transtheoretical Model. The training portions of this career development award will include coursework in epidemiology, qualitative analysis and advanced biostatistics. Mentoring will be provided by Marquerite Stevens, PhD, cancer epidemiologist and medical anthropologist and Robert Greenberg, MD, cancer epidemiologist.