Factors affecting the use of screening mammography among African American women.

Our objective was to determine the influence of health consciousness in the utilization of mammography in asymptomatic African American women. The sample consisted of 670 women who participated in a household interview in two cities. Logistic regression was used to determine the independent effects of health consciousness, holding constant other factors believed to be related to mammography utilization. Health insurance, income below the poverty line, and an annual physical were not significant predictors. The single most important predictor of having a mammogram was the regular practice of breast self-examination; the group of women who practiced self-examination was almost twice as likely to have a mammogram.