Predictors of mammography use in the past year among elderly women

Thirty-two personal characteristics were examined as potential predictors of mammography use in the past year in a geriatric clinic. Interviews assessed demographic, health status, health service utilization, health belief, and psychological and social variables (n = 242, mean age = 76 years). Four variables were independently associated with mammography use in logistic regression analysis: age, historical mammography use, perceived severity, and perceived barriers. The inverse relationship between age and mammography use in the past year was not modified by health status, functional status, and the other independently predictive variables. The authors conclude that geriatrics specialty care does not eliminate the age-associated decline in mammography use that has been previously described. The factors associated with mammography use in this sample were similar to those that have been described in younger populations of women. Variables examined because of specific gerontologic considerations were not independently associated with mammography use in the past year.