Mammography Screening of Chinese Immigrant Women: Ever Screened Versus Never Screened

Purpose/Objectives: To compare the differences in mammogram completion rates over time between Chinese American women with and without a history of mammogram screening.

Design: Secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled intervention study.

Setting: Metropolitan areas of Portland, Oregon.

Sample: 300 foreign-born Chinese immigrant women aged 40 years or older. Of these, 83 women (28%) had never had a mammogram.

Methods: Participants who had not been screened with a mammogram within the past 12 months were randomized into either an education group or a control (brochure) group. All participants completed a baseline survey, which was administered again at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Main Research Variables: Mammography history, breast cancer knowledge, perceived risks, susceptibility, benefits, and common and cultural barriers.

Findings: Women who had never been screened were less likely to have insurance, a regular healthcare provider, or to have been instructed to have a mammogram. Postintervention in the education group, mammogram completion was not significantly different between those with or without a history of screening (p = 0.52). In the control brochure group, significantly more women with a history of screening had a mammogram (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Practitioners must be aware of differential effects of education on mammography cancer screening based on women’s history of screening.

Implications for Nursing: Print material may not be as effective with women who have never been screened with a mammogram. Targeted approaches based on such understanding has the potential to decrease the breast cancer screening disparity among Chinese immigrant women.