Promoting Mammography Screenings in African American Women: Media, Church, and Health Providers

Due to the underutilization of screening mammography, African American women (AAW) are more likely to experience negative health outcomes after receiving a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis than White Women (WW). The purpose of this article is to examine the roles of the media, health community and the African American church and pastor and their potential impact in AAW screening decisions. Fifteen AAW, ages 45 and older, were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Most women agreed the African American pastor and church as well as the health community, and media are an integral part of their lives. Therefore, specific to the issue of breast cancer awareness, faith-based institutions, media, and health community may be able to create greater awareness to help promote timeliness to screening mammography and improvement of survival rates.