Introduction: The goal of this study was to understand promoters and barriers to annual mammography screening among multiethnic inner city women aged 40 years and above.
Methods: Women at 4 community health centers were asked to fill out a self-administered survey and divided into 2 groups. Group A consisted of women who had a mammogram in the last 2 years and group B of women who had never had a mammogram or for whom it had been over 2 years since their last mammogram.
Results: One hundred forty-four of 172 (84%) women approached agreed to fill out the survey: 80% self-reported as group A and 20% as group B. Group A women were more likely to have someone recommend they get a mammogram, have a primary care provider (PCP), and have a female PCP. Group B women reported they were "too busy" and would prefer a walk-in mammogram clinic.
Conclusions: Mammography screening remains a public health challenge.