Examining the barriers and facilitators of mammography screening in women in southern Iran: The use of intervention mapping

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths in women, and breast cancer screening is considered a health-promoting behavior that is influenced by various factors. The present study was conducted to explain the barriers and facilitators of mammography screening using intervention mapping in women in southern Iran. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This qualitative research is a type of qualitative content analysis with a conventional approach based on the intervention mapping framework. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and group discussions with 34 experienced people (27 women and 7 experienced experts), with maximum variation according to age, education, occupation, marital status, and different geographical regions, and using sampling. It was collected purposefully. All verbal interactions of the participants were recorded using a digital voice recorder and were analyzed along with the recorded non-verbal interactions using qualitative content analysis. Max-QDA version 10 software was used to manage codes and facilitate data analysis. RESULTS: The findings of this study were extracted in 5 main themes of intra-personal, interpersonal, organizational, social, and political and 11 sub-categories. The most important obstacles to women’s participation in breast cancer screening were inadequate knowledge, inadequate self-efficacy, fear, beliefs, family’s lack of understanding, lack of personnel guidance, lack of access and facilities, lack of privacy in screening centers, The lack of importance of the issue in the society, improper insurance policies, economic challenges. The most important facilitating factors included family support and staff guidance, accessibility and ease of travel to screening centers, the presence of appropriate mammography equipment in the city, and the reduction of the cost of screening. CONCLUSION: Primary health care providers and health policymakers should use appropriate intra-personal, interpersonal, organizational, social, and political strategies to make women pay more attention to mammography screening and prevent breast cancer.