Relationship Between Expanded Health Belief Model Variables and Mammography Screening Adherence in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

People with disabilities often find it more difficult to access health-care services than the general population, further jeopardizing their health and well-being. The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to explore the relationship between variables of the Expanded Health Belief Model (EHBM) and adherence to mammography screening in a sample of homebound women with MS after completion of a National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) intervention, known as the “Home-Based Health Maintenance Program for Women with MS,” that was conducted in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The intervention was conducted in the patients' homes and included education of the women and their partners on risk factors for breast cancer and instruction in breast examination techniques. The patients were also helped to make appointments for mammograms. This study derived its sample from the intervention program and used data on adherence recorded by the NMSS. After completion of the intervention, telephone interviews were conducted with women who met the inclusion criteria (N = 11). Descriptive statistics indicate that adherence can be successfully described using variables of the EHBM, including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy. The instruments chosen for the research were well tolerated, useful, and efficient to administer and allowed for immediate assessment.