Changes in knowledge, attitudes and behavior of women participating in a community outreach education program on breast cancer screening

A community-based intervention project on Long Island was supported by the National Cancer Institute to increase the use of mammography and breast physical examination among older women. During a 1-year period 526 women aged 50 and older attended educational sessions presented by the project staff conducted in the community in a variety of settings. Sixty-eight percent (355) of the women who participated provided identifying data and completed pre- and post-session surveys while 40% (210) also completed a mail survey 6-12 months later. Screening behavior improved subsequent to the intervention, at follow-up 61% had taken some related action. More than half of the 109 women who had a mammogram after attending the session indicated that the presentation influenced them to do so. The use of a game created a positive atmosphere for conveying information about a sensitive subject and encouraged discussion among women who had a variety of experiences with screening.