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Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lipkus, IM; Iden, D; Terrenoire, J; Feaganes, JR
Published in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
June 1999

There has been very little research exploring the relationships among perceptions of, and concern about, getting breast cancer and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer. This study explored these issues among 130 and 136 African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer, respectively. Women with a family history reported having greater perceived breast cancer risks and concerns than women without a family history of breast cancer. Knowledge of breast cancer risk factors was very poor and correlated weakly with perceptions of risk and concern. In attributional analyses, acknowledging one's family history status was the strongest predictor of perceived risk only among women with a family history. Women with a family history of breast cancer expressed greater interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility than women without a family history, although interest in testing was high overall. Increasing perceptions of breast cancer risks and concerns were related to a greater interest in genetic testing, and this relationship was not moderated by family history status. Attributions of risk and knowledge of breast cancer risk factors generally were not related to interest in testing. Overall, these results suggest that: (a) African-American women with a family history are more concerned about and do recognize their greater risk of breast cancer; (b) knowledge of risk factors and attributions of risk are not directly related to interest in genetic testing; and (c) concerns, rather than beliefs about one's risk, are more powerfully related to interest in genetic testing, independent of family history status.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology

EISSN

1538-7755

ISSN

1055-9965

Publication Date

June 1999

Volume

8

Issue

6

Start / End Page

533 / 539

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Risk Factors
  • Pedigree
  • North Carolina
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Middle Aged
  • Medical History Taking
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Lipkus, I. M., Iden, D., Terrenoire, J., & Feaganes, J. R. (1999). Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention : A Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 8(6), 533–539.
Lipkus, I. M., D. Iden, J. Terrenoire, and J. R. Feaganes. “Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer.Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention : A Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 8, no. 6 (June 1999): 533–39.
Lipkus IM, Iden D, Terrenoire J, Feaganes JR. Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology. 1999 Jun;8(6):533–9.
Lipkus, I. M., et al. “Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer.Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention : A Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, vol. 8, no. 6, June 1999, pp. 533–39.
Lipkus IM, Iden D, Terrenoire J, Feaganes JR. Relationships among breast cancer concern, risk perceptions, and interest in genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility among African-American women with and without a family history of breast cancer. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology. 1999 Jun;8(6):533–539.

Published In

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology

EISSN

1538-7755

ISSN

1055-9965

Publication Date

June 1999

Volume

8

Issue

6

Start / End Page

533 / 539

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Risk Factors
  • Pedigree
  • North Carolina
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Middle Aged
  • Medical History Taking
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice