title: The impact of a brief coping skills intervention on adherence to breast self-examination among first-degree relatives of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.
abstract: The present investigation sought to determine (1) the impact of a single session stress management/coping intervention (problem-solving training; PST) versus a general health counseling (GHC) control condition on breast self-examination (BSE) adherence among relatives of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, and (2) whether women with heightened perceived risk of breast cancer and/or cancer specific distress at baseline were more likely to improve their BSE adherence following PST. The participants were 510 women age 20-75 who had at least one first-degree relative with breast cancer. All of the participants completed a baseline telephone interview, an intervention (PST versus GHC), and a 3-month follow-up telephone interview. The results revealed a 36% overall improvement in BSE adherence, with no significant between-group difference in improvement (chi 2 = 0.03, p = 0.87). The logistic regression analysis of improvement in BSE adherence revealed a statistically significant cancer-specific distress by treatment interaction (p = 0.04). Among women who received PST, those with high levels of cancer-specific distress were two times more likely to improve in BSE adherence than women low in cancer-specific distress. There was no effect of cancer-specific distress in the control condition. These results suggest that women with a family history of breast cancer who have high levels of distress may be most likely to benefit from behavioral coping skills intervention to promote adherence to breast cancer screening.
authors.affiliation: Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Audrain
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rimer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefanek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennanen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helzlsouer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology