Mammography utilization rates among young white and black women in the USA

Objective: To determine mammography utilization rates for randomly selected white and black women in the USA. Study design: This was an observational study using data from 1988 to 2000. Data were extracted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual self-report telephone survey conducted nationally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methods: The main outcome measure was the mammography utilization rates of women ages 18-40 years responding to 'Have you ever had a mammogram?'. In total, 354 097 women were included in this study [310 336 (87.6%) white women and 43 761 (12.4%) black women]. Results: In women ages 18-33, black women showed consistently higher mammography utilization rates than white women. Utilization rates among women ages 18-23 years were 20.0% and 11.0% for black and white women, respectively. Among women ages 24-29 years, rates were 22.2% and 11.5% for black and white women, respectively. For women ages 30-33 years, rates were 25.7% and 18.1% for black and white women, respectively. Utilization rates were similar in black and white women over 33 years of age. Conclusions: This study found that young black women were receiving more mammography screening than young white women between 1988-2000. This may be due to the increased risk of fibroid masses in young black women. (c) 2006 The Royal Institute of Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. ALL rights reserved.