Abstract
Breast cancer is a prevalent and deadly disease among women in Nigeria. While mammography has proven to reduce breast cancer mortality, the participation of women in mammography remains low despite media awareness efforts. This study examined the impact of media messages on women’s participation in mammography, using the Health Belief Model and Diffusion of Innovations theory. A survey of 395 respondents in selected areas of Ibadan North LGA, Oyo State, Nigeria, was conducted using the stratified sampling technique. Key Informant Interviews were also held with health professionals from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and media professionals from Splash FM and the Nigerian Television Authority, Ibadan. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 26 and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics, while the qualitative data was thematically analysed. The findings indicated that media messages have an insignificant impact on women’s participation in mammography, with a correlation coefficient of 0.05 (p = 0.17). The regression coefficient for media messages was 0.05, with a standard error of 0.03, a t-value of 1.67, and a p-value of 0.097. The study identified poverty and misinformation as significant barriers to women’s participation in mammography. Therefore, exposure to media messages about breast cancer did not significantly influence women’s participation in mammography. The study recommends more explicit information dissemination and stronger collaboration between healthcare professionals and the media to address these barriers.
Keywords: Adherence to Mammogram Screening, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Media Messages, Mammogram Screening, Media Messages.