Suchergebnisse

Purpose.The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the cultural meanings that shape the breast cancer screening behavior of older African-American women.Design.Qualitative research methods elicited social and cultural themes related to breast cancer screening.Setting.Focus group interviews were conducted in the natural settings (churches, etc.) of older African-American women.Subjects.Interviews were conducted with 132 members from 14 social networks of older African-American women.Measures.A focus group guide asked about 1) perceived risk of breast cancer, 2) behavioral intentions about breast cancer screening, 3) health seeking behavior, and 4) social support.Results.For older African-American women: other health concerns are of more concern than breast cancer; age is generally not recognized as a risk factor for breast cancer; fear of finding breast cancer and its social consequences are salient barriers to mammography; they tend to rely on breast self-exam rather than mammography to detect a breast problem; cost may be more an issue of competing priorities than cost per se; the tradition is to go to doctors for a problem, not prevention; and women in their own social networks are important sources of social support for health concerns.Conclusions.These data offer explanations for mammography screening in older African-American women and emphasize the strength of naturally existing sources of social support for designing interventions to increase breast cancer screening.

Purpose. This study examined the relationship between health risks, health behaviors, stages-of-change, and behavior change priorities among blue-collar women participating in a worksite health promotion study. Design. Cross-sectional. Setting. Rural manufacturing worksites in North Carolina. Subjects. Participants were 859 women aged 18 and over. Measures. The self-administered questionnaire assessed smoking, exercise, nutrition (fat, fruits, and vegetables), and breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors. In addition, demographics, body weight, perceived health, stages-of-change, and priority for behavior change were measured. Chi-square tests and regression analysis were used to assess statistical significance. Results. Overall, 28% of women smoked, 37% were completely sedentary, 82% consumed less than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and the majority were overweight. The dominant stage of change for each of the lifestyle behaviors was contemplation, whereas most women were in the action stage for cancer screening. When asked to prioritize the behavior they most wanted to change, the majority of women chose healthy eating and/or exercise. Conclusions. The findings suggest that blue-collar women in this study had multiple health risks and were interested in changing multiple health behaviors. Allowing women to choose the behavior(s) on which they are ready to focus may be a promising approach to tailoring interventions for this population.