title: Cancer fatalism and breast cancer screening in African American women.
abstract: Despite significant advances in science, medicine, and technology African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasian women. There is a growing body of literature that describes strategies to improve breast cancer screening among African American women. However, data suggest that African American women, compared to Caucasian women, are less likely to participate in regular breast cancer screening. The belief that a diagnosis of cancer will result in death has been identified as a potential barrier to cancer screening in African American population groups. However, research examining the degree to which perceptions of fatalism influence breast cancer screening in culturally and ethnically diverse population groups is scant. This repot describes the outcomes of a study undertaken to examine relationships between perceptions of cancer fatalism and breast cancer screening in African American women. Findings support the postulation that fatalism negatively influences health promoting practices such as breast cancer screening. However, contrary to prior research findings age was observed to be inversely associated with cancer fatalism.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Nursing Programs, Southern University and A&M College, School of Nursing, Baton Rouge, LA 70813, USA.
authors.forename: Wanda Raby
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Spurlock
authors.forename: Leah S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cullins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology*; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009341:Negativism; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010808:Physical Examination; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*