Cancer Worry Among Urban Dominican Women: A Qualitative Study.
Alsacia L Sepulveda-Pacsi, Grenny Hiraldo, Keville Frederickson
PMID 27758840WHAT IT FOUND
Urban Dominican immigrant women linked cancer worry to destiny, faith, family, and provider trust.
They said these beliefs helped them pursue screening, but they wanted clearer Spanish information about cancer risks and guidelines.
Key findings
01Women described cancer as potentially predetermined, but they also said they could take control through screening, treatment, and working with providers.
02Faith, familismo, personalismo, and trusting relationships with providers were described as helping them stay proactive about screening and health decisions.
03One participant said she did not know all cancer facts, and all participants agreed additional information about cancer and screening guidelines would be helpful.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a convenience study of only women from the Washington Heights/Inwood community, so the findings cannot be generalized. All group sessions were held in Spanish, and participants were from one community, so applicability to other Dominican women may be limited. 178 women were invited, 56 accepted, and 38 participated, so the sample was highly selected. The authors used focus groups and note debate about whether group methods can capture individual experience. It describes themes, not tested interventions, so it cannot show that faith or family-centered education reduces worry or improves screening.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read cancer as destiny as passivity or conclude that faith-based or family-centered education works. This qualitative study described women's experiences and did not test any intervention.