Perceptions of Cancer Fatalism and Cancer Knowledge A Comparison of Older and Younger African American Women

• Published in: Journal of psychosocial oncology Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Powe, Barbara D., Hamilton, Jill, Brooks, Patrice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2006; Haworth Press; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Adult; African American; African Americans; Age Differences; Age Factors; Aged; Attitude to Death; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American; Black People - psychology; Breast Cancer; Breast Neoplasms - ethnology; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cancer; Cancer fatalism; cancer knowledge; cervical cancer; Death & dying; Fatalism; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; historically black colleges and universities; Humans; Knowledge; Life Change Events; Mammary gland diseases; Mass Screening - psychology; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Older people; Perceptions; Personality Inventory; Prevention and actions; primary care centers; Primary Health Care; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); Student Health Services; Tumors; Uncompensated Care; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - ethnology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - psychology; Womens Health Care; Belief; Human; Primary health care; Mortality; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Medical screening; primary care centers; Knowledge; Ethnic group; Female genital diseases; Mammary gland diseases; Health center; Female; historically black colleges and universities; Woman; Elderly; Cancer fatalism; Uterine cervix diseases; Public health; Age; Cervical cancer; African American; cancer knowledge
• ISSN: 0734-7332; 1540-7586
• DOI: 10.1300/J077v24n04_01

Cancer fatalism (the belief that death is inevitable when cancer is present) may influence cancer screening practices among older African American women. Little is known about cancer fatalism among younger women. Guided by the Patient/Provider/System Model, this descriptive study compares cancer fatalism and cancer knowledge among African American college students (n = 353) and women from primary care centers (n = 361). Their average age was 29 years. Data were collected using the Powe Fatalism Inventory and breast and cervical cancer knowledge scales. Women at health centers had higher cancer fatalism and lowercancer knowledge. Differences in life experiences may help explain these findings.