title: Medical advocacy among African-American women diagnosed with breast cancer: from recipient to resource.
abstract: Medical advocacy at multiple levels (self, community/interpersonal, national/public health interest) may be helpful to address the disproportionate burden of breast cancer African-American women encounter. Little, however, is known about the interplay of medical advocacy at different levels.
  
  
  
  We analyzed qualitative data from two studies focused on the psychosocial experiences of breast cancer among 38 African-American women living in Western Washington State.
  
  
  
  Emergent themes suggested that survivors received community/interpersonal advocacy from different members of social networks in the form of social support (appraisal, emotional, informational, instrumental). Survivors indicated that receiving this support was associated with greater self-advocacy in terms of their own care experiences, as well as greater community/interpersonal advocacy on their part as resources to other women diagnosed with breast cancer, their family, friends, and larger communities.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that community/interpersonal advocacy, including providing different types of support, may lead to improved self-advocacy as well as health-protective impacts for the networks in which survivors are embedded. Future quantitative research is warranted to support these findings and assess how this interplay is associated with improved outcomes among this marginalized and resilient population.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois-Chicago, 1603 W Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. ymolin2@uic.edu.|Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA. ymolin2@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Yamile
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.|University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherman
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.|University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Tara Hayes
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Constant
authors.affiliation: Cierra Sisters, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Bridgette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hempstead
authors.affiliation: WeSpeakLoudly, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Jacci
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson-Dodd
authors.affiliation: Cierra Sisters, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Shayla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: MultiCare Health System, Tacoma, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Shauna Rae
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Weatherby
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.|University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Kerryn W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Reding
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.|University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ceballos
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology
keywords: African-American; Breast cancer disparities; Cancer survivor; Medical advocacy