Between-Race Differences in Processes Predicting Physician Communication for African American and European American Recipients of Breast Density Notifications. Issue 8 (3rd October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Manning, Mark; Albrecht, Terrance L; Penner, Louis; Purrington, Kristen
• Is Part Of: Annals of behavioral medicine. Volume 53:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 721
• Page End: 731
• Publication Date: 2018-10-03
• Subjects: Breast density notification -- Theory of planned behavior -- Between-race differences -- African American women; Medicine and psychology -- Periodicals; Sick -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Behavioral Medicine; 616.0019
• DOI: 10.1093/abm/kay079
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-6612

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Breast density notification laws mandate reporting of dense breast to applicable women. The same psychological and systemic barriers that yield between-race differences in mammography use will probably yield between-race differences in women's psychological and behavioral responses to breast density notifications. Purpose: We used the theory of planned behavior as a framework to examine between-race differences in the likelihood of following-up with physicians after receiving breast density notifications and to examine differences in African American and Caucasian American women's behavioral decision-making processes. Methods: A subset of 212 African American and Caucasian American women who participated in an initial and follow-up survey examining responses to breast density notifications were examined for this study. Participants reported background and demographic measures, psychological responses to receiving notifications, and planned behavior measures related to following up with physicians approximately 2 weeks after receiving their mammogram reports. Participants self-reported their behaviors 3 months later. Results: There were no between-race differences in self-reported physician communication; however, there were differences in processes that predicted behavior. For Caucasian American women, behavioral intentions, education, and income predicted behaviors. Instead of intentions, group-based medical suspicion, confusion, breast cancer worry, and breast density anxiety predicted behaviors for African American women. Conclusions: Behavioral decision-making processes for Caucasian American women were in line with well-validated theoretical predictions. For African American women, race-related medical suspicion, prior breast density awareness, and emotional responses to breast density notifications predicted behavior. The results highlight the need to focus on racially distinct psychological targets when designing interventions to support guideline concordant behavioral decisions among women who receive breast density notifications. Abstract : Intentions predicted communication behaviors for Caucasian American women who received breast density notifications; however, separate background variables, and not intentions, predicted behaviors for African American women.