Mammography Stages Adoption and Health Beliefs in Mexican Women

Objective. To identify associations between sociodemographic variables and stages of change and evaluate differences between health belief model variables and these stages. Methods. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 612 women aged 40 years and older admitted to a public hospital in the Northeast of Mexico. The participants answered the health belief model scale and selected the statement that best reflected their experience with mammography screening. The association between sociodemographic and clinical variables and the mammography stages of change was assessed using X2, and the groups of stages of change were compared using one-way ANOVA and Games-Howell post-hoc tests. Results. There was a significant association between age and the stages of action and maintenance. Breast cancer screening methods such as breast self-examination and clinical breast examination were more common among women in the stages of maintenance and relapse. There were differences between pre-contemplation and the more advanced stages in all dimensions except in the perceived seriousness p <.001. Self-efficacy and health motivation were different among women at the stage of contemplation, maintenance, and relapse. Conclusions. Perceived self-efficacy and health motivation may increase adherence to mammography screening.