Mammography Screening and Pacific Islanders: Role of Cultural and Psychosocial Factors*

*This research was supported in part by funds from the California Breast Cancer Research Program of the University of California (grant number 4BB-1400) and the NIH/National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (P60MD000532). The contents of the article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies.

Abstract

Background. There is little information on the associations between cultural and psychosocial factors and not receiving a mammogram by Samoan women. Methods. Survey of 809 Samoan women aged 42 years and older. Results. The likelihood of nonreceipt was lower for women who had higher perceptions of severity, agreement with a mammogram's efficacy, higher group norms, higher self-efficacy, and those who placed greater importance on the breast. The likelihood of nonreceipt was higher for women who harbored misconceptions and endorsed culture-specific beliefs. Conclusions. Samoan women need specifically tailored breast cancer education which incorporates cultural and psychosocial factors important for behavior change. J Cancer Educ. 2007; 22:32–36.

Notes

*This research was supported in part by funds from the California Breast Cancer Research Program of the University of California (grant number 4BB-1400) and the NIH/National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (P60MD000532). The contents of the article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shiraz I. Mishra

At the time of the research the first author was affiliated with the Department of Medicine and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Irvine, CA.