The purpose of this study was to examine experiences with screening mammography, intentions regarding screening use, and concerns regarding screening use by racial/ethnic and age groups. The sample consisted of a random-community sample of women in Los Angeles aged 65 years and older (which excluded nursing home residents) and a random sample of women in this age group identified by Medicare listings provided by the Health Care Financing Administration. The final sample included 556 whites, 92 blacks, and 34 Hispanics.

Only 39% of Hispanic women had a mammography in the last year, compared with 63% of white women and 69% of black women. Patterns of mammography in the last year by income category also varied by racial group. For example, for black women, roughly equal proportions of women whose income was less the $15,000 (53%) and whose income was at least $15,000 (57%) had mammography, while for white and Hispanic women, substantially greater proportions of women in the higher income group had mammography (30% versus 57% for white women, and 30% versus 56% for Hispanic women). However, the pattern was less racially distinct for education groups. For all three ethnic groups, subjects were more likely to have a mammogram in the last year if they had at least a high school education than if they did not graduate from high school

There were also racial differences in behavior and knowledge variables. The authors report that there was statistically significant racial variation in the following variables: knowledge of age as a risk factors (43% of white, 35% of Hispanics, and 29% of blacks), belief that it unlikely to get breast cancer (66% of blacks, 48% of whites and 42% of Hispanics), intention to get a mammogram next year (80% of blacks, 63% of whites, and 61% of Hispanics), great concern about radiation (36% of Hispanics, 34% of blacks, and 15% of whites), great concern about pain (22% of Hispanics, 6% of blacks, and 3% of whites), and great anxiety about screening (24% of Hispanics, 15% of blacks, and 10% of whites). Most noteworthy is the pattern that Hispanic women were more likely to have concerns/anxiety about screening than black or white women. The authors did not directly test whether the racial variation in these behavior and knowledge items explains the racial variation in mammography use.

The authors conclude, "these results, together with findings from the National Health Interview Survey, suggest that education and income are greater influence on screening of elderly women than are race and/or ethnicity." It will be important in future analysis to further explore the influence of socioeconomic status on mammography screening use, and whether SES influences vary among different racial groups as was indicated in this study.