Relationship of social support and social burden to repeated breast cancer screening in the Women's Health Initiative

Direct and interactive effects of social support, social burden (caregiving, negative life events, and social strain), education, and income on repeated use of breast cancer screening among a large (N = 55,278), national sample of postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative observational study were examined. Repeated screening decreased as emotional/informational support and positive social interactions decreased (ps <.01). Repeated mammography decreased with frequent caregiving (p <.01). Less social strain reduced the frequency of repeated breast self-examinations (BSEs; ps < .01), but frequent caregiving and more negative life events increased repeated use of BSE (ps <.01). Interactive effects suggested that emotional/informational but not tangible support is associated with repeated mammography and clinical breast examinations (ps <.01) and may be particularly important among low-income older women, especially those burdened by caregiving.