Spirituality Plays Important Role in Breast Cancer Information Processing for African-American Women

	Tweet

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 178,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die as a result of breast cancer in 2007. One way to battle these numbers is through increased information sharing and use of early detection methods. A new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that spirituality might play an important role in achieving this, particularly for African-American women.

“Spirituality has been found to be an important cultural factor for African-American women thinking about their health, so we evaluated its impact on breast cancer information processing,” said Glenn Leshner, associate professor of radio-television in MU’s School of Journalism. “We found that spirituality positively affected African-American women’s willingness to talk about breast cancer, pay attention to information about breast cancer and engage in preventative measures.”

Leshner worked with Cynthia Frisby, MU associate professor of strategic communication; I-Huei Cheng, assistant professor at the University of Alabama; Yoonhyeung Choi, assistant professor at Michigan State University, and Hyun Joo Song, a former MU doctoral student. The researchers studied the effects of spiritual locus of control - the belief that God has control over health - by conducting surveys in 11 U.S. cities. Then they analyzed the 446 completed surveys (240 from Caucasian women, 206 from African-American women). Results showed that for African-American women, spirituality had a positive effect on talking about cancer and paying attention to breast cancer messages in the media. For Caucasian women, spiritual locus of control played no role in paying attention to breast cancer information.

“By embracing cultural and ethnic factors, this study helps develop a more holistic health message processing model so that we can better understand processes associated with health message rejection and acceptance, particularly with diverse ethnic groups,” Frisby said. “Our results indicate that when a breast cancer prevention message is designed for African-American women, health communicators should consider how to positively utilize the role of spirituality in the women’s health message processing.”

Although it is less important for most Caucasian women, this study suggests that spirituality can be an important part of learning about and coping with breast cancer for African-American women.

“African-American women in our sample likely perceived both God and themselves as important factors in their own health. This perception seems to encourage African-American women to seek more information and talk about breast cancer to get emotional support and helpful advice,” Leshner said.

The study was published in the journal Integrative Medicine Insights in December 2006.

University of Missouri

RELATED STORIES:
Device May Customize Radiation Therapy, Reduce Treatment Time   Breast cancer outcome similar in women and men   Study sheds light on breast cancer drug failure   US, Mexico plan to lower breast cancer deaths   Risk of breast cancer mutations underestimated for Asian women, Stanford study shows   Scripps Florida Scientists Uncover Inflammatory Circuit That Triggers Breast Cancer   Study Examines Power of Exercise to Prevent Breast Cancer   MRI cost-effective for some women at high-risk of breast cancer   Breast cancer may be on the rise in U.S.-based Latinas   Adding breast exam to mammogram - is it worth it?   IMRT reduces risk of side effects in breast cancer patients   Few Women Rebuild Breast After Mastectomy   Young women’s breast cancers have more aggressive genes, worse prognosis   Report outlines innovative breast cancer rehabilitation model   Breast reconstruction can have lasting benefits   Study Suggests Mastectomy Not Being Overused For Breast Cancer Treatment   Breast cancer cases to climb in China, study   Expanding cell girth indicates seriousness of breast cancer   Metabolic syndrome linked to breast cancer   Parsley, Celery Carry Crucial Component for Fight Against Breast Cancer, MU Researcher Finds   FDA OKs Invitrogen genetic test for breast cancer   Removing 2mm around breast cancer tumors prevents residual disease in 98 percent of patients

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]