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Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.

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A brief nursing intervention reduces anxiety before breast cancer screening mammography

Ana Fernández-Feito, Alberto Lana, Ricardo Baldonedo-Cernuda and María Pilar Mosteiro-Díaz

Universidad de Oviedo

Background: Anxiety experienced by women during their participation in breast cancer screening programs can condition their adherence to the program. The aim was to determine whether a brief nursing intervention could reduce anxiety before screening mammography. Method: A randomized controlled trial carried out with 436 Spanish women aged between 50-69 years, who attended a population breast cancer screening program. The experimental group received an ad-hoc tailored intervention, which consisted of offering information about the screening program and the mammography exam, as well as of providing personal emotional support. Anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Fear of screening outcome and fear of breast cancer were also assessed. Results: Women of the experimental group had 60% less probability of having a high anxiety state (OR = 0.40; 95%: CI [0.25, 0.65]), after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Regarding trait anxiety, no differences were observed between groups. The stratified analysis showed that this positive impact was greater in women who did not fear the screening outcome (OR = 0.24; 95% CI [0.11, 0.52]) or breast cancer (OR = 0.07; 95% CI [0.01, 0.41]). Conclusions: A protocolized nursing intervention reduced the probability of being anxious when undergoing a screening mammography.

Una intervención enfermera breve disminuye la ansiedad antes de una mamografía de screening de cáncer de mama. Antecedentes: la ansiedad experimentada por las mujeres durante su participación en el examen de detección precoz del cáncer de mama puede condicionar su adherencia al programa. El objetivo fue determinar si una intervención enfermera breve disminuye la ansiedad antes de una mamografía de screening. Método: ensayo clínico controlado y randomizado en 436 mujeres españolas de 50 a 69 años participantes en el programa de screening. El grupo experimental recibió una intervención diseñada ad-hoc, consistente en ofrecer información sobre el programa y la mamografía, así como proporcionar apoyo emocional. La ansiedad fue medida con el inventario de ansiedad estado-rasgo (STAI). También se evaluaron el miedo a los resultados y al cáncer de mama. Resultados: la probabilidad de tener ansiedad estado elevada fue un 60% menor en las mujeres del grupo experimental (OR = 0,40; IC95%: 0,25-0,65), tras ajustar por variables sociodemográficas y clínicas. Respecto a la ansiedad rasgo no se observaron diferencias entre grupos. El análisis estratificado mostró que el impacto positivo fue mayor en las mujeres sin miedo a los resultados (OR = 0,24; IC95%: 0,11-0,52) ni al cáncer de mama (OR = 0,07; IC95%: 0,01-0,41). Conclusiones: una intervención enfermera protocolizada disminuyó la probabilidad de tener ansiedad antes de la realización de una mamografía de screening.

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