Increasing mammography screening among women over age 50 with a videotape intervention

Background. A randomized trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of a videotape for increasing mammography screening among a multiethnic sample of older women. Methods. A multiethnic sample of Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic women between the ages of 50 and 70 was recruited from Resident Lists compiled by the State of Massachusetts. After completing a baseline questionnaire, women were randomized to receive either a videotape or pamphlet about mammography and recontacted at 2 and 12 months after baseline to assess attitudes, beliefs, and mammography screening. A total of 581 women completed questionnaires at all three time points. Results. At baseline, approximately 75% of women reported having a mammogram in the past year and 90% reported having one in the past 2 years. Rates did not differ between groups. At the 12-month follow-up, mammography rates, adjusted for baseline screening, were 80.4% in the video and 74.8% in the pamphlet group. Logistic regression analysis of mammography at 12 months (within past year vs. >1 year ago) controlling for baseline mammogram produced an odds ratio of 1.48 for the video group that was not significantly different from unity (95% CI = 0.95–2.28). Conclusions. The videotape had a small effect on increasing mammography screening. Although the effect was smaller than more intensive interventions, the video is a convenient, low cost, and easily implemented method to increase mammography screening.