Online Program

326007
Effect of Mammography on Non-Breast Cancer Mortality


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Bilikisu Elewonibi, M.P.H., Department of Health Policy and Adminstration, The Pennsylvania State University, Univeristy Park, PA
Patricia Y. Miranda, MPH, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Background: Preventive health behaviors have been explored as social constructs, changing over time according to social norms.

 

Objective: To examine whether mammography receipt is associated with mortality due to causes other than breast cancer, hypothesizing that mammography screening is a proxy for a woman’s predisposition to seek preventive health behaviors.

 

Methods: Using data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey and 2000-2005 National Death Index, a discrete-time hazard model estimated mortality from any cause, breast cancer, and any cause except breast cancer as a function of screening status, controlling for age, race, education, poverty, marital status, usual source of care, smoking status, self-reported health, and BMI.

Results: Receiving a mammogram was associated with a 23% (p<0.05) reduction in the likelihood of all-cause mortality but significance disappeared after control variables were added.

Receiving a mammogram was associated with a 26% (e-0.295, p<0.05) reduction in the likelihood of mortality from all causes except breast cancer. This effect remained, after controlling for race, education and poverty (16%, e-0.18, p<0.05) but disappeared after controlling for the other variables. No significant effect was seen on deaths due to breast cancer.

Discussion: Results suggest women who undergo mammograms were more likely to seek other preventive health services or engage in healthy behaviors that affect mortality. Identifying characteristics of women who are more likely to engage in preventive behavior may help health and education interventions identify and target vulnerable populations.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss implications of predicting preventive behavior in women Assess the role of mammography in all cause mortality and mortality not due to breast cancer

Keyword(s): Cancer and Women’s Health, Health Assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple papers focusing on the health disparities in US populations. Among my interests have been strategies to reduce breast cancer mortality and screening disparities in minority populations.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.