Affiliations 

  • 1 Taylor's University
  • 2 Xiamen University Malaysia Campus
  • 3 University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
MyJurnal

Abstract

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the moderating role of internal health locus of control, breast cancer worry and age in the relationship between fear of negative appearance evaluation and attitude towards mammography in women with no prior mammography screening experience. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional, questionnaire- based survey was conducted. Participants included 823 Iranian women aged 30 years and above. We used covariance- based structural equation modeling to test the research hypotheses. Results: The findings provided evidence for the negative association between fear of negative appearance evaluation and women’s attitudes towards mammography. Internal health locus of control, breast cancer worry, and age weakened the detrimental effect of fear of negative appearance evaluation on mammography screening. We found that fear of negative appearance evaluation could more likely act as a barrier towards mammography screening in women who were less likely to have a sense of control over their own health, who were less worried about developing breast cancer, and who were younger. Conclusion: Implications of the study are discussed with recommendations for future research.