Where Culture Meets Genetics: Exploring Latinas Causal Attributions of Breast and Colon Cancer and Models of Disease Inheritance

Where Culture Meets Genetics: Exploring Latinas' Causal Attributions of Breast and Colon Cancer and Mental Models of Disease Inheritance

Background:

Culture can affect the way a person thinks about illness. This can affect how they seek help for illness. It can also affect how they choose a treatment and follow it. This can lead to health disparities among certain groups of people. Breast and colon cancers are the most common cancers for Latinos. Even though they get these cancers at lower rates than other population groups, Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed with these cancers at advanced stages. Researchers want to study what Latina women immigrants believe causes breast and colon cancer and other factors they think play a role in disease. This understanding could lead to better interactions between Latinos and their doctors.

Objective:

To learn more about what Latina immigrants believe causes breast and colon cancer and other factors they think play a role in disease.

Eligibility:

Women ages 18 and older who:

Were born in Latin America

Speak Spanish

Have never had breast, ovarian, or colon cancer

Design:

Participants will be interviewed in person or over the phone. This will take up to an hour. The interview will be recorded. Participants will answer questions about:

Their family s cancer history

What they think causes breast and colon cancer

What they think plays a role in disease

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Breast Cancer; Colon Cancer

Detailed Description

Research to understand the sources of health disparities has acknowledged that in addition to biomedical risk factors, culture plays an important role in differential health outcomes. Consequently, understanding cultural differences that may influence health behavior is key in working towards reducing these disparities. Causal attributions are a key component of individuals illness perceptions and thus impact health behaviors, which may present as health disparities at a population level. While research has explored non-Hispanic White women s causal attributions of breast cancer, less is known about Latina s beliefs about the causes of breast cancer, and little is known about causal attributions of colon cancer in any population. Understanding Latina s causal attributions of breast and colon cancer may provide insight into the determinants of cancer disparities in this population. Because a subset of both breast and colon cancers result from single gene mutations, which confer an increased risk of developing such cancers, understanding causal attributions in Latina populations is relevant to the field of genetics. This is especially true since Latinas have historically underutilized cancer genetic risk assessment counseling and testing services. As these services become a standard part of general healthcare provision, it will become increasingly important to understand ways in which different cultural groups interact with genetic information. One way this can be done is through investigating culturally informed mental models of disease risk and inheritance. This study seeks to describe causal attributions of breast and colon cancer and to explore mental models of disease inheritance among Latina immigrants . A qualitative exploratory design including interviews comprised of free-listing, ranking, and open-ended questions will be used. Participants will be recruited through the NIH Clinical Research Volunteer Program as well as using other resources within the Office of Participant Recruitment and from among individuals enrolled on other NIH Clinical Center protocols. First, we will describe Latina s causal attributions for these cancers. Next, we will use cultural consensus theory (CCT) to identify and describe common cultural models of causes of these cancers. Finally, we will explore Latina s mental models of disease inheritance using both free-listing and open-ended questions.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 22

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Women who speak spanish as their primary language; living in the metropolitan Baltimore/Washington, DC region

Description

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• Are a woman, 18 years of age or older
• Have immigrated to the United States from Latin America
• Speak Spanish
• Are able to meet in-person in the metro Washington, DC area

Puedes reunir los requisitos si:

• Eres mujer y tienes 18 a(SqrRoot) os de edad o m(SqrRoot)(Degree)s
• Has emigrado a los Estados Unidos desde Latinoam(SqrRoot)(Copyright)rica
• Hablas el espa(SqrRoot) ol con fluidez
• Puedes asistir en persona en la zona metropolitana de Washington, DC

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

-NIH medical and research staff

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Only
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Spanish-speaking Latinas; Women who speak Spanish as their primary language

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
mental models of inheritance	qualitative descriptions of women's understanding/thoughts about inheritance	baseline
causal attributions of colon cancer	participants' free-lists of colon cancer causes	baseline
causal attributions of breast cancer	participants' free-lists of breast cancer causes	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lori Erby, Ph.D., National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 10, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 2, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): February 2, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 10, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): May 11, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 21, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2024
• Last Verified: August 31, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Natural History; Cultural Consensus
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Colonic Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: 999916106; 16-HG-N106

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No