title: Ethnic identities and lifestyles in a multi-ethnic cancer patient population.
abstract: This report examined ethnic identity in 367 recently diagnosed cancer patients in Hawai'i's primary ethnic groups: Japanese, Hawaiians, Europeans, and Filipinos. The study assessed ethnic self-identify; definitions of and participation in different ethnic lifestyles; and relationships between measures of ethnic self-identity, lifestyle, and other indicators of ethnic and cultural affiliations. Results indicated that medical record-based ethnic indicators were well linked to individual self-reports of family pedigree. Self-descriptors included non-standard terms such as "American" and "Local," and respondents reported following between five and six different ethnically-associated ways of life. Multivariate analysis indicated that ethnic self-identity made a unique contribution that went beyond standard ethnic and acculturative markers in explaining lifestyles. This study provides strong support for multiculturalism in this ethnically heterogeneous population.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i, University of Hawai'i, USA. cgotay@crch.hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Carolyn Cook
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gotay
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holup
mesh_terms: D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000145:classification; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology