Women’s Health Beliefs and Intention to Use Chemoprevention for Breast Cancer

Objectives: To investigate the associations between women’s health beliefs and their intention to use chemoprevention.

Sample & Setting: Participants were postmenopausal women (N = 400) aged 50–64 years who were recruited for a study on mammographic breast density.

Methods & Variables: Participants completed a screening mammogram and breast cancer health belief questionnaires. The authors regressed intention to use chemoprevention onto health belief scores (breast cancer fatalism, fear, perceived threat, perceived benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy).

Results: Nearly half of the participants indicated that they would be interested in using chemoprevention if they were found to be at high risk for developing breast cancer. Women who reported higher perceived benefits of chemoprevention, higher perceptions of their ability to use chemoprevention (self-efficacy), and fewer logistic barriers to seeking health care had significantly higher intention to use chemoprevention.

Implications for Nursing: Interventions aimed at reducing logistic barriers to health care may increase the uptake of chemoprevention among at-risk women. In addition, women at the time of mammography and women with higher levels of education may be motivated to consider using chemoprevention.