Predicting women's intentions to screen for breast cancer based on the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior.

AIM

The objective of this study is to identify the role of factors influencing women's breast cancer screening (BCS) intentions in Changchun city based on the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 422 women aged 17-75 years was conducted in Changchun, northern China, in 2018. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included three parts. We used descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and multiple regressions to analyze data in spss version 23.0.

RESULTS

Career (P = 0.004), clinical examination (P = 0.002), X-ray examination (P = 0.026), screening costs accepted (100-300 RMB) (P = 0.001), perceived behavioral benefit (P = 0.000), self-efficacy (P = 0.000), subjective norms (P = 0.000), behavioral attitudes (P = 0.000) and perceived behavioral control (P = 0.000) had significant associations with BCS intentions. This study tested the applicability of the HBM (adjusted R = 4.7%, ΔR = 5.6%) and the TPB (adjusted R = 8.3%, ΔR = 3.8%) in the prediction of BCS intentions. It was found that the predictive power of the integrated model (adjusted R = 39%, ΔR = 30.8%) is better than that of each of the single models. Therefore, the integrated model has better predictive power.

CONCLUSION

An exploration of the factors affecting BCS intentions based on the HBM and the TPB is beneficial for reduced mortality and the development of measures to increase women's BCS awareness, thus providing a basis for future research on the factors affecting BCS intentions.