Faculty Collaboration Database

Predictors of pessimistic breast cancer risk perceptions in a primary care population. J Gen Intern Med 2004 Apr;19(4):310-5

Date

04/06/2004

Pubmed ID

15061739

Pubmed Central ID

PMC1492192

DOI

10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.20801.x

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-1942467439 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   82 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify sociodemographic characteristics, numeracy level, and breast cancer risk factors that are independently associated with the accuracy of lifetime and 5-year breast cancer risk perceptions.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. A probability scale was used to measure lifetime and 5-year risk perceptions. The absolute difference between perceived risk and the Gail model risk of breast cancer was calculated. Linear regression models were built to predict lifetime and 5-year breast cancer risk estimation error.

SETTING: Primary care internal medicine practices (N = 2).

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fifty-four women 40 to 85 years of age.

RESULTS: The mean lifetime and 5-year calculated breast cancer risk was 8.4% (SD [standard deviation] 6.1) and 1.5% (SD 1.3), respectively. Subjects had a mean estimation error for lifetime and 5-year risk of 29.5% (SD 22.9) and 24.8% (SD 23.9), respectively. In multivariate analyses, lower numeracy scores (0.005), higher number of previous breast biopsies (0.016), and a higher number of first-degree relatives (0.054) were predictive of larger estimation error for lifetime breast cancer risk. White race (0.014), lower educational levels (0.009), higher number of previous breast biopsies (0.008), and higher number of first-degree relatives (0.014) were predictive of larger estimation error for 5-year risk.

CONCLUSION: Among a primary care population, breast cancer risk factors may be more consistently associated with pessimistic perceptions of breast cancer risk than other factors studied during a lifetime and 5-year time span. Primary care physicians should consider counseling patients about individual breast cancer risk factors and risk over time.

Author List

Davids SL, Schapira MM, McAuliffe TL, Nattinger AB

Authors

Susan Davids MD, MPH Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Timothy L. McAuliffe PhD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Ann B. Nattinger MD, MPH Associate Provost, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attitude to Health
Breast Neoplasms
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Primary Health Care
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors