Hispanic Women's Preferences for Breast Health Information: Subjective Cultural Influences on Source, Message, and Channel

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of 3 subjective cultural variables—self-construals (independence and interdependence), ethnic identity (bicultural, assimilation, traditional, and marginal), and cultural health attributions (equity and behavioral–environmental attributions)—on source, message, and channel preferences for receiving breast health information by Hispanic women age 35 or older. Subjective cultural variables collectively accounted for 2% to 28% of the variance in communication preferences. In addition, several associations were discovered: (a) having an interdependent self-construal was associated positively with preferences for significant other as a source, family sources, fear messages, media channels, and face-to-face channels; (b) having a bicultural identity was associated positively with preferences for family sources and media channels, but negatively with a desire for no information; and (c) having a marginal identity and equity attributions were associated positively with preferences for fear messages and a desire for no information, but negatively with preferences for expert sources. These findings are discussed in the context of tailoring breast health information to Hispanic women using computer technology and entertainment–education.

Notes

¹In this study, we use the federal government's designation of Hispanic, which the U.S. Census defines as persons whose origins are Spain or the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, or persons who identify themselves as Spanish, Spanish American, Hispanic, Hispana(o), or Latina(o). Hispanics constitute approximately 12% of the U.S. population, having increased by 58% from 22.4 million in 1990 to 35.3 million in the 2000 Census. The U.S. Hispanic population is descended from the following countries or regions: Mexico (58.5%), Puerto Rico (9.6%), Central American (4.8%), South American (3.8%), Cuba (3.5%), or others (17.6%; U.S. Census, 2001).

²More detailed analyses, including a table of factor loadings and specific items, are available on request from the first author.

³The demographic analyses are available on request from the first author.