Factors associated with intentions for breast cancer risk management: Does risk group matter?

Objective National guidelines provide breast cancer (BC) risk management recommendations based on estimated lifetime risk. Despite this specificity, it is unclear if women's risk management intentions are or are not guideline concordant. To address this knowledge gap, women at varying risk levels reported intentions for risk‐reducing behaviors. Factors associated with intentions, informed by the Health Beliefs Model, were also studied. Methods Women with elevated BC risk (N = 103) were studied and categorized by risk level: moderate (15%‐20%), high (greater than or equal to 20%), or very high (BRCA1/2 positive). Participants self‐reported BC susceptibility, self‐efficacy, and benefits, barriers, and intentions for risk‐reducing mastectomy (RRM), risk‐reducing salpingo‐oophorectomy (RRSO), chemoprevention, improving diet or physical activity, and reducing alcohol use. Results Groups significantly differed in RRSO intentions (P .28). In hierarchical linear regression models examining Health Belief Model (HBM) factors, perceived susceptibility was associated with intentions for RRM (β = .169, P = .08). Perceived benefits was associated with intentions for RRM (β = .237, P = .02) and chemoprevention (β = .388, P