BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION: KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF HISPANIC WOMEN IN TWO SOUTHWESTERN METROPOLITAN AREAS

The breast self-examination (BSE) practices of 1,453 Hispanic women in Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California were the focus of this study. Variables proposed as factors that influence the frequency and proficiency of BSE were demographic variables, particularly language and level of acculturati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of community health 1994-12, Vol.19 (6), p.433-448
Main Authors: Coe, Kathryn, Harmon, Mary P., Castro, Felipe G., Campbell, Nadia, Mayer, Joni A., Elder, John P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acculturation
Adult
Arizona - epidemiology
Attitude to Health
Breast Neoplasms - ethnology
Breast Neoplasms - prevention & control
Breast Self-Examination
Breasts
California - epidemiology
Female
Females
Health Behavior
Health Education
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Hispanic Americans
Humans
Language
Metropolitan Areas
Middle Aged
Phoenix, Arizona
Preventive medicine
San Diego, California
Social research
Socioeconomic Factors
Women
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Summary:The breast self-examination (BSE) practices of 1,453 Hispanic women in Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California were the focus of this study. Variables proposed as factors that influence the frequency and proficiency of BSE were demographic variables, particularly language and level of acculturation, having been taught BSE by a health professional, and experience with the disease. Results indicate that even though the majority of the women at both the Phoenix (78.1%) and San Diego (83.7%) sites had been taught BSE by a professional and most women in Phoenix (62.5%) and San Diego (63.4%) reported performing BSE within the past month, only 0.7% of the women at both sites were found to be proficient in the technique of BSE. Further, results indicate that language and acculturation were correlated with whether or not a woman performed BSE. These findings suggest that BSE education classes must provide information and techniques that promote proficiency in BSE, and must be designed to meet the unique needs of Hispanic women, particularly those of low acculturation levels.
ISSN:0094-5145
1573-3610
DOI:10.1007/BF02260325