Determinants of Breast Cancer Screening by Mammography in Women Referred to Health Centers of Urmia, Iran

Background: In women, breast cancer accounts for 30 percent of all cancers and it is the second leading cause of mortality. Mammography is considered an effective procedure to detect early breast cancer recommended by World Health Organization. This study was aimed to evaluate breast cancer screening determinants in women referred to health centers of Urmia for mammography in 2017. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study, 348 women referred to health centers of Urmia were selected using multistage sampling. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire for mammography screening determinants, with a checklist including demographic characteristics, family, social and economic factors and midwifery background. Analysis was with SPSS software version 20for descriptive and inferential statistic tests, P<0.05 being considered significant. Results: The proportion performing mammography was 12%. Significant relationships were noted with income, menopause status, a history of breast cancer in close relatives, beliefs, inaccessibility, knowledge, cues to action, emotions, self-care, and life priorities (P<0.05). There were no significant links with age at marriage, first age of delivery, number of children, duration of breastfeeding, status of residency, education, marital status, occupation, history of breastfeeding, and previous breast problems (P>0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that the status of breast cancer screening in participating women was not satisfactory. Therefore, promotion of screening methods by health policy makers in Iran is necessary and given that reliance solely on education is not sufficient, it is essential to pay attention to barriers and eliminate them.