The efficacy of three interventions for increasing mammography utilization

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of three different interventions for increasing mammography utilization among women in Northern Kentucky. Women aged 40 and older were targeted. A brochure was given to 789 women who attended bingo halls, hair salons, and senior citizen centers. In addition, women at the hair salons and senior citizen centers received an oral message. In order to track the number of women who received a mammogram as a result of one of the interventions, women were to turn in a coupon. Only seven coupons were turned in at the mammography facilities after the interventions were implemented, making it impossible to test the hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of the interventions. However, historical data were collected during the months of October to March two years prior to the interventions. This was done to compare the historical data to the number of mammograms conducted during the intervention period. Based on the regression analysis and fitted line plot, only two of the five mammogram facilities showed a significant increase in the number of mammograms performed.; There was no evidence from the coupon data that the three interventions were at all effective. It is possible that the interventions could have been effective in encouraging women to get a mammogram. However, factors outside the study could have been responsible for the increase in mammography. The types of interventions tested in this study do not appear to have as much promise as physician or health care provider recommendations.; This study should be repeated using a better method for documenting how many women who participated in the intervention actually got a mammogram. The Northern Kentucky Cancer Coalition seemed particularly interested in interventions in nontraditional settings such as bingo halls, hair salons, and senior citizen centers. Until better data can be collected to support these interventions, emphasis should be placed on more traditional interventions such as recommendations from a health care practitioner, as they have proven more effective.