Explaining the effects of a decision intervention on mammography intentions: The roles of worry, fear and perceived susceptibility to breast cancer. Issue 5 (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Seitz, Holli H.; Schapira, Marilyn M.; Gibson, Laura A.; Skubisz, Christine; Mello, Susan; Armstrong, Katrina; Cappella, Joseph N.
• Is Part Of: Psychology & health. Volume 33:Issue 5(2018)
• Page Start: 682
• Page End: 700
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: perceived susceptibility -- perceived risk -- mammography -- decision aid -- worry -- fear; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; Attitude to Health -- Periodicals; Public Opinion -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2017.1387261
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-0446

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: This study examines the effects of a mammography decision intervention on perceived susceptibility to breast cancer (PSBC) and emotion and investigates how these outcomes predict mammography intentions. Design: Randomised between-subjects online experiment. Participants were stratified into two levels of risk. Within each stratum, conditions included a basic information condition and six decision intervention conditions that included personalised risk estimates and varied according to a 2 (amount of information: brief vs. extended) × 3 (format: expository vs. untailored exemplar vs. tailored exemplar) design. Participants included 2465 US women ages 35–49. Main Outcome Measures: PSBC as a percentage, PSBC as a frequency, worry, fear and mammography intentions. Results: The intervention resulted in significant reductions in PSBC as a percentage for women in both strata and significant increases in worry and fear for women in the upper risk stratum. Of the possible mediators examined, only PSBC as a percentage was a consistent mediator of the effect of the intervention on mammography intentions. Conclusion: The results provide insight into the mechanism of action of the intervention by showing that PSBC mediated the effects of the intervention on mammography intentions.