Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Sep;37(5):581-91.
doi: 10.1188/10.ONF.581-591.

Exploring disparities and variability in perceptions and self-reported colorectal cancer screening among three ethnic subgroups of U. S. Blacks

Clement K Gwede  1 , Claire M William, Kamilah B Thomas, Will L Tarver, Gwendolyn P Quinn, Susan T Vadaparampil, Jongphil Kim, Ji-Hyun Lee, Cathy D Meade
Affiliations

Exploring disparities and variability in perceptions and self-reported colorectal cancer screening among three ethnic subgroups of U. S. Blacks

Clement K Gwede et al. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose/objectives: To explore perceptions of colorectal cancer (CRC) and self-reported CRC screening behaviors among ethnic subgroups of U. S. blacks.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory, developmental pilot.

Setting: Medically underserved areas in Hillsborough County, FL.

Sample: 62 men and women aged 50 years or older. Ethnic subgroup distribution included 22 African American, 20 English-speaking Caribbean-born, and 20 Haitian-born respondents.

Methods: Community-based participatory research methods were used to conduct face-to-face individual interviews in the community.

Main research variables: Ethnic subgroup, health access, perceptions of CRC (e.g., awareness of screening tests, perceived risk, perceived barriers to screening), healthcare provider recommendation, and self-reported CRC screening.

Findings: Awareness of CRC screening tests, risk perception, healthcare provider recommendation, and self-reported use of screening were low across all subgroups. However, only 55% of Haitian-born participants had heard about the fecal occult blood test compared to 84% for English-speaking Caribbean-born participants and 91% for African Americans. Similarly, only 15% of Haitian-born respondents had had a colonoscopy compared to 50% for the English-speaking Caribbean and African American subgroups.

Conclusions: This exploratory, developmental pilot study identified lack of awareness, low risk perception, and distinct barriers to screening. The findings support the need for a larger community-based study to elucidate and address disparities among subgroups.

Implications for nursing: Nurses play a major role in reducing cancer health disparities through research, education, and quality care. Recognition of the cultural diversity of the U. S. black population can help nurses address health disparities and contribute to the health of the community.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Reasons for Study Ineligibility by Ethnic Subgroup
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. American Cancer Society . Colorectal cancer facts and figures 2008–2010. Author; Atlanta, GA: 2008.
    1. American Cancer Society . Cancer facts and figures 2010. Author; Atlanta, GA: 2010.
    1. Arthur CM, Katkin ES. Making a case for the examination of ethnicity of blacks in United States health research. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 2006;17:25–36. doi:10.1353/ hpu.2006.0017. - PubMed
    1. Blanchard J, Lurie N. Preventive care in the United States: Are blacks finally catching up? Ethnicity and Disease. 2005;15:498–504. - PubMed
    1. Bradshaw BS, Frisbie WP. Mortality of Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants: Comparisons with Mexico. In: Weeks JR, Ham Chande R, editors. Demographic dynamics of the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas Western Press, University of Texas at El Paso; El Paso, TX: 1992. pp. 125–150.

Publication types

MeSH terms