An evaluation of cultural beliefs and values among high-risk african american women

C Hughes

Aim: Although the cultural beliefs and values of African American women are increasingly being recognized as important factors in cancer prevention and control behaviors, limited information is available regarding the prevalence of specific cultural beliefs and values among African American women and their impact on decisions about participation in cancer risk assessment programs. Therefore, the objectives of this observational study were to describe cultural beliefs and values among African American women and evaluate the impact of these factors on participation in genetic risk assessment. Methods: Participants were African American women (n=28) who had a 10%-20% prior probability of having a BRCA1/2 gene alteration and who were invited to participate in a genetic risk assessment program. Results: Overall, 60% of subjects participated in genetic counseling and received test results and 40% declined. Compared to decliners, participants in genetic risk assessment had significantly greater levels of fatalistic beliefs about cancer and future temporal orientation. For example, the mean level of cancer fatalism among acceptors was 34.8 whereas the mean level of cancer fatalism among decliners was 25.8 (T=3.06, p=.005). Conclusions: Rates of participation in genetic risk assessment among African American women were lower than rates of genetic test acceptance among newly identified high-risk probands enrolled in a clinic-based genetic testing research program. The results of this study suggest that cultural beliefs and values may influence decisions about participation in genetic risk assessment among African American women and these factors may need to be addressed during education and counseling.

KEY WORDS: Cultural beliefs, African American, Prevention.

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Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Paris, France; February 9 - 12, 2002; in the section on Risk Assessment, Part 2.

http://www.cancerprev.org/Journal/Issues/26/101/1094/4446