Intention, Subjective Norms, and Cancer Screening in the Context of Relational Culture

• Published in: Health education & behavior Vol. 36; no. 5_suppl; pp. 91S - 110S
• Main Authors: Pasick, Rena J., Barker, Judith C., Otero-Sabogal, Regina, Burke, Nancy J., Joseph, Galen, Guerra, Claudia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.10.2009; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Behavior Theories; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Breast Neoplasms - ethnology; Cancer; Comparative studies; Cultural change; Cultural Influences; Culture; Female; Females; Filipino Americans; Health Behavior; Health Promotion; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Inconsistency; Intention; Interviews as Topic; Latin American people; Mammography; Mass Screening - utilization; Meaning; Minority & ethnic groups; Philippines - ethnology; Screening; Screening Tests; Self Efficacy; Social context; Social Environment; Sociocultural Patterns; Womens health; Philippines; subjective norms; relational culture; mammography; social context; intention
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/1090198109338919

Research targeting disparities in breast cancer detection has mainly utilized theories that do not account for social context and culture. Most mammography promotion studies have used a conceptual framework centered in the cognitive constructs of intention (commonly regarded as the most important determinant of screening behavior), self-efficacy, perceived benefit, perceived susceptibility, and/or subjective norms. The meaning and applicability of these constructs in diverse communities are unknown. The purpose of this study is to inductively explore the social context of Filipina and Latina women (the sociocultural forces that shape people's day-to-day experiences and that directly and indirectly affect health and behavior) to better understand mammography screening behavior. One powerful aspect of social context that emerged from the findings was relational culture, the processes of interdependence and interconnectedness among individuals and groups and the prioritization of these connections above virtually all else. The authors examine the appropriateness of subjective norms and intentions in the context of relational culture and identify inconsistencies that suggest varied meanings from those intended by behavioral theorists.