Family support for Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer

A cancer diagnosis affects not only the individual but the entire family. Despite the growing body of literature on family support as a resource in cancer care, there is very little research on how cancer affects families in non-Western cultures. A minority population that experiences a disproportionate burden from cancer is Native Hawaiian women.

In this study, 8 Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer and 17 family members of other Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer participated in focus groups examining family support. Specifically, types of support provided by the family (eg, informational, emotional, and tangible), changing dynamics of family roles, and recommendations for health care providers, with attention paid to the influence of culture on family support, were topics that were examined.

Similarly to other populations, Native Hawaiians viewed the family as the most important source of emotional and tangible support for women with cancer, and identified a need for increased informational support for both patients and families in the face of cancer. However, their reference to specific cultural values and practices within the 'ohana (family) [eg, haku (family liaison) and ho'omana (spirituality)] reflects a uniqueness that has implications for clinical work with this population.

Consideration of cultural values and practices may enhance health care services for this population.