Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors of Women of Mexican Descent: A Grounded Theory Approach

A culturally-based theoretical model about how cultural beliefs about cancer and breast cancer screening techniques influence the screening behaviors of women of Mexican descent was developed using grounded theory. Across levels of acculturation and socioeconomic status, 34 women (49 to 81 years old) were interviewed through focus groups. Women who hold more traditional health beliefs about causes, nature, and responsibility with regard to breast cancer are more likely to "feel healthy" and not engage in breast cancer screening. Women who hold more traditional beliefs about propriety of female and health care provider behavior are more likely to "feel indecent" and also not engage in screening. The cultural health belief model is integrated within a sociocultural and a socioeconomic context

Mexican-Descent Latinas’ Compliance with Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

High mortality from invasive cervical cancer among Mexican-descent Latinas living in the Great Plains could be substantially reduced if they would utilize screening procedures regularly. To understand possible influential factors on their screening behaviors, we investigated which variables differentiate women age 50 and older who are most compliant with cervical cancer screening guidelines from those who are less compliant. Of 184 women surveyed, 100 were compliant with a yearly Pap smear while 84 were not compliant. Discriminant function analysis revealed that, apart from the significance of sociodemographic factors and acculturation, women who were most compliant significantly received more health-care provider interventions, complied with breast cancer screening, and were more motivated to engage in general health behaviors. Findings suggest that health-care providers can help women comply successfully with cervical cancer screening guidelines by educating and referring them for Pap testing when they provide other health care services to these women

Breast Cancer Detection Among Older Latinas: Is It Worth the Risk?

Fifty-eight Latinas participated in focus group interviews to assess their perceptions about screening to detect breast cancer (BC). Grounded theory methods helped uncover a cultural explanatory model that explained how cultural and psychosocial dynamics influence BC screening decisions. According to this model, Latinas generally perceived BC screening as a risky behavior. Three themes emerged that influenced the amount and type of perceived risks: feeling healthy (i.e., perceptions about the etiology of the illness and its nature), feeling indecent (i.e., the behaviors involved in screening), and feeling threatened (i.e., the anticipated consequences of BC detection). Screening was perceived as risky because of many personal and interpersonal consequences associated with detecting BC. Latinas’ subjective assessment that detecting BC is too risky might influence their participation in screening procedures. Health education programs should aim at helping Latinas perceive that the early detection of BC is a life-saving benefit that outweighs its perceived risks

Are All Latinas the Same? Perceived Breast Cancer Screening Barriers and Facilitative Conditions

In this article, we examine perceived breast cancer screening barriers and facilitative conditions for immigrant wome

The Role of Social Capital, Sex Communication, and Sex Refusal Self-Efficacy in Sexual Risk Behaviors and HIV Testing among a Diverse Sample of Youth

Social capital, namely civic engagement, adult support, and community support, shapes behaviors in meaningful ways, yet the literature examining the relationship between social capital and sexual risk behaviors and HIV testing among youth remains limited. This study examined the influence of social capital on sexual risk behaviors (i.e., unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, and being drunk or high prior to sex) and HIV testing among youth. A total of 200 primarily ethnic minority youth (mean age of 17.4 years) in Denver, Colorado were included in the study. Structural equation modeling findings indicate that higher levels of social capital were associated with unprotected sex and less HIV testing. Additionally, the association between social capital and sex with multiple partners was mediated by sex refusal self-efficacy. Youth may benefit from social capital, but it may not have the same protective or health-promotive value for youth as for adults

Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Income Inequality, and Colorectal Cancer Outcomes: Evidence from the 4C2 Collaboration

Purpose: National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers are required to assess and address the needs of their catchments. In rural regions, catchment areas are vast, populations small, and infrastructure for data capture limited, making analyses of cancer patterns challenging. Methods: The four NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the southern Rocky Mountain region formed the Four Corners Collaboration (4C2) to address these challenges. Colorectal cancer (CRC) was identified as a disease site where disparities exist. The 4C2 leaders examined how geographic and sociodemographic characteristics were correlated to stage at diagnosis and survival in the region and compared those relationships to a sample from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program. Results: In 4C2, Hispanics were more likely to live in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas relative to their counterparts in the SEER program. These residency patterns were positively correlated with later stage diagnosis and higher mortality. Living in an area with high-income inequality was positively associated with mortality for Non-Hispanic whites in 4C2. In SEER, Hispanics had a slightly higher likelihood of distant stage disease, and disadvantaged socioeconomic status was associated with poor survival. Conclusion: CRC interventions in 4C2 will target socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, especially those with higher income inequality, to improve outcomes among Hispanics and Non-Hispanic whites. The collaboration demonstrates how bringing NCI-Designated Cancer Centers together to identify and address common population catchment issues provides opportunity for pooled analyses of small, but important populations, and thus, capitalize on synergies among researchers to reduce cancer disparities.National Cancer Institute12 month embargo; published: 04 January 2022This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]