title: Breast Cancer Cause Beliefs: Chinese, Korean, and Mexican American Breast Cancer Survivors.
abstract: This study examined causal attribution beliefs about breast cancer and the influence that these beliefs exert on health behavior change among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Focus groups with Chinese (n = 21), Korean (n = 11), and Mexican American (n = 9) BCS recruited through community- and hospital-based support groups were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English for thematic content analysis. Three themes concerning beliefs about breast cancer cause common to all three groups included (a) stress, (b) diet, and (c) fatalism. Causal beliefs corresponded to behavioral changes with women describing efforts to improve their diet and manage their stress. Ethnic minority BCS adhere to beliefs about what caused their cancer that influence their health behaviors. Providing quality health care to ethnically diverse cancer survivors requires cultural sensitivity to patients' beliefs about the causes of their cancer and awareness of how beliefs influence patients' health behaviors post diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA pgonzalez@mail.sdsu.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Kangnam University, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang-Letzkus
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Katrina F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristi M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Castañeda
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Talavera
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: breast cancer; cancer survivorship; cultural beliefs; ethnic minority survivors; health behaviors