My Life Matters: Mammogram for Life!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Minnesota women. Tribal women of the Northern Plains Region of the Indian Health Services region have higher mortality rates (26.2 vs 22.8 per 100,000) and higher mortality rates across every age (0-31 years to 65 and older), compared to the region’s non-Hispanic white women. The mortality to incidence ratio (0.23 vs. 0.18) shows that American Indian women in the region are more likely to die from the disease than are non-Hispanic white women.

Mayo Clinic researcher Wesley Petersen, Ph.D., Director of OHDR-Native American Research Outreach, partnered with Red Lake Comprehensive Health Services, and Red Lake Indian Health Service (IHS) to reduce late-stage breast cancer through increasing American Indian women’s participation in mammograms and increasing adherent participation (obtaining an annual mammogram beginning at age 40).

The research, funded by Minnesota Department of Health, Center of Health Equity, involved promoting mammograms through tribe-specific, low-tech messaging using elements from five theoretical models of health behavior. Messaging formats included posters, videos, promotional materials, and events celebrating life.

As an outcome of this study, the average Mammogram adherence in Women > 40 years of age increased beyond the goal of 20%. Source