A program of Interventions Designed to Imcrease Mammography Rates in Women Ages 50 Years and Older for an Underserved Racial Minority

Abstract

Although breast cancer mortality rates have declined among white women nationally, rates have increased among African-American women. In an effort to increase the use of screening mammography in African-American women in Philadelphia, intervention strategies were developed to target this segment of the population which included an educational program delivered by members of the community with a video as the core component; educational mailings with a prepaid return postcard; posters with tear-off, prepaid postcards; and publilc service messages. The educational program with the video was delivered at 77 sites in Philadelphia attended by 4,481 people. Postcards validated by mammography centers were returned by 454 women in the targeted population. It was difficult to obtain feedback from members of the targeted population who either presented or attended and educational session but the small sample that responded specified that they appreciated having African-Americans featured in the video.

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