The Effect of Personal Characteristics, Perceived Threat, Efficacy and Breast Cancer Anxiety on Breast Cancer Screening Activation

Abstract

In order to activate women to participate in breast cancer screening programs, a good understanding is needed of the personal characteristics that influence how women can be activated to search for more information, consult friends and doctors, and participate in breast cancer screening programs. In the current study, we investigate the effect of six personal characteristics that have in previous research been identified as important triggers of health behavior on breast cancer screening activation: Health awareness, Need for Cognition, Affect Intensity, Breast cancer knowledge, Topic involvement, and the Perceived breast cancer risk. We test the effect of these factors on four activation variables: intention of future information seeking, forwarding the message to a friend, talking to a doctor, and actual breast cancer screening attendance. Additionally, we try to unravel the process by means of which the antecedents (the six personal characteristics) lead to activation. To that end, we test the mediating role of perceived breast cancer threat, perceived efficacy of screening, and the evoked breast cancer anxiety as mediators in this process. The data were collected by means of a cross-sectional survey in a sample of 700 Flemish (Belgium) women who were invited to the free-of-charge breast cancer population screening. Screening attendance of this sample was provided by the government agency in charge of the organisation of the screening. Health awareness, affects intensity, topic involvement, and perceived risk have the strongest influence on activation. Breast cancer anxiety and perceived breast cancer threat have a substantial mediation effect on these effects. Efficacy perceptions are less important in the activation process. Increased health awareness and a higher level of perceived risk lead to less participation in the free of charge population based breast screening program. Implications for theory and practice are offered. The limitation of the study is that only a standard invitation message was used. In future research, other types of awareness and activation messages should be tested. Additionally, the analysis could be refined by investigating the potentially different activation process in different subgroups of women.

Factors promoting breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings participation: A systematic review

“…Accordingly, family history of cancer (mainly breast/cervical cancer) may significantly impact people' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to screening uptake; those not having relatives who have had cancer often underestimate their own risk, thus more likely being patients who do not adhere to screening recommendations 30,72–75 . Conversely, people perceiving high susceptibility to cancer and worries linked to cancer diagnosis are more likely to participate in screening programs, since the latter are considered as potentially lifesaving (i.e., they are more likely to perceive cancer diagnosis, rather than cancer screening, as entailing the greater psychological and physical costs) 23,46,70,71,76,77 . Moreover, people perceiving high susceptibility are also more likely to repeat the test following the recommended time frames, thus the screening uptake may recall not only negative emotions, but also reassuring feelings linked to the “negative” results 23 .…”

“…People adopting healthy behaviors, such as a high level of utilization of preventive care (e.g., history of screening/flu‐vaccinations), complementary medicine, physical activity and absence of health‐adverse behaviors (e.g., tobacco‐use) are more likely adherent 22,78–80 . In this direction, people displaying high tendency to be ego‐involved in health choices (i.e., health is of high personal relevance), 70 prevention‐oriented, 74,81,82 and health‐aware are more likely to actively engage in cancer screening programs 76,77 . Similarly, positive attitude towards the benefits of screening, 83 perceived control in personal choices and over own health, 81,84 personal motivation, 33,70,74 high perceived self‐efficacy and response efficacy 77 are pivotal features promoting screening adherence, that enhance the search of adequate information about cancer screening and that support the willingness to overwhelm the perceived barriers to cancer screening.…”

“…30,[72][73][74][75] Conversely, people perceiving high susceptibility to potentially lifesaving (i.e., they are more likely to perceive cancer diagnosis, rather than cancer screening, as entailing the greater psychological and physical costs). 23,46,70,71,76,77 Moreover, people perceiving high susceptibility are also more likely to repeat the test following the recommended time frames, thus the screening uptake may recall not only negative emotions, but also reassuring feelings linked to the "negative" results. 23 Nonetheless, research also demonstrated that an excessive amount of fear for cancer may impact people' self-assessment of susceptibility, resulting in a defensive perception of low susceptibility and, accordingly, in active screening avoidance.…”

Knowledge and Barriers toward Breast Self-Examination and Awareness of Breast Cancer among Women in Puncak Alam

“…forms of early detection (De Pelsmacker, Lewi & Cauberghe, 2017). All of these factors can lead to a decreased likelihood of engaging in BSE, which can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.…”

“Oh no, they caught it!”: Vicarious experience of COVID-19, protection motivation and protective behaviors

“…PMT has been widely applied to investigate health protective behavior, such as engaging in physical activity (Plotnikoff et al, 2009), reducing vaping behavior (Salmani and Prapavessis, 2023), and cancer screening (De Pelsmacker et al, 2017). Similarly, this theory can be a useful model for understanding individual tendencies during a novel pandemic like COVID-19.…”