ArticleBMC cancer2018
A national cross-sectional study of adherence to timely mammography use in Malta.
Article in BMC cancer, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Factors promoting breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings participation: A systematic review.Psycho-oncology · 2022Pooled it
- Investigating women's motivations to engage in early mammography screening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2026Article
- Mammography attendance in China's national breast cancer screening program: a county-level analysis of the Fujian province.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- The Relationship between Healthcare Providers and Preventive Practices: Narratives on Access to Cancer Screening.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- An examination of variables associated with breast cancer early detection behaviors of women.African health sciences · 2022Article
- Factors Associated with Mammography Screening Among Women Living in Rural Areas.Florence Nightingale journal of nursing · 2022Article
- Predicting reattendance to the second round of the Maltese national breast screening programme: an analytical descriptive study.BMC public health · 2019Article
- Lifetime utilization of mammography among Maltese women: a cross-sectional survey.BMC public health · 2018Article
- A Qualitative Focus Group Study for the Exploration of Knowledge and Attitudes of Informal Caregivers Toward Breast Cancer: Perceptions of Informal Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals in Three European Countries.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundRoutine mammography improves survival. To achieve health benefits, women must attend breast screening regularly at recommended time intervals. Maltese women are routinely invited to undergo mammography at three-year intervals at an organized breast screening programme (MBSP) or can opt to attend a private clinic. Previous research shows that health beliefs, particularly perceived barriers, were the most significant predictors of uptake to the first MBSP invitation. Whether these beliefs and other factors are predictive of adherence with recommended time intervals for mammography at organized or private screening in Malta is unknown. For the first time, this paper explores the predictors for Maltese women screened within or exceeding the recommended three-year frequency in organized or private screening in Malta.
methodsInformation was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 404 women, aged 50 to 60 years at the time of their first MBSP invitation, where women's characteristics, knowledge, health beliefs and illness perceptions were compared. The main variable of interest was women's mammography attendance within a three-year interval (ADHERENT) or exceeding three years (NON-ADHERENT). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Mann Whitney test, Independent Samples t-test and Shapiro Wilk test.
resultsAt the time of the survey, 80.2% (n = 324) had been screened within three years (ADHERENT), 5.9% (n = 24) had exceeded the three-year frequency (NON-ADHERENT) while 13.9% (n = 56) never had a mammogram. No significant associations were found between ADHERENT or NON-ADHERENT women in relation to sociodemographic or health status variables (p > 0.05). Knowledge of screening frequency was significantly associated with women's mammography adherence (χ2 = 5.5, p = 0.020). Health beliefs were the strongest significant predictors to describe the variance between ADHERENT and NON-ADHERENT screeners. When Mann Whitney test and Independent Samples t-test were applied on mammography adherence, perceived barriers and cues to action were found to be the most important predictors (p = 0.000, p = 0.039 respectively).
conclusionsTo increase routine and timely mammography practices, women who are non-adherent to recommended time frequency guidelines should be targeted, together with their health beliefs, predominantly perceived barriers and cues to action.
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