Breast self-examination practices among women from six ethnic groups and the influence of cancer worry

Abstract

Diverse samples of women (N = 1364) from Brooklyn, New York, were interviewed regarding their breast cancer screening practices. Of interest here is the relation between cancer worry and adherence to breast self-examination (BSE) guidelines among the six ethnic groups identified--European American, African American, Haitian, Dominican and English-speaking Caribbean women. There was a significant difference in cancer worry by ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis indicated that education, cancer worry, and perceived efficacy of BSE significantly predicted adherence. Furthermore, there were significant differences among women of African descent in BSE adherence and cancer worry. These differences reflect the emerging need for researchers to empirically and methodically investigate ethnic and cultural factors, as well as emotions and affect in preventive health behaviors.