Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2025

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Testimony and meaning: A qualitative study of Black women with cancer diagnoses
M Elizabeth Lewis Hall1, Grace E Lee1, Jason McMartin1
1Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University.
Objective:
Research has established religion and spirituality as important resources for Black people in the U.S. coping with adversity. Most research has been from an etic perspective, examining religious variables that are valid across multiple religions. In the present study, we asked what emic aspects of the Black church's practices and theological emphases women with cancer drew on in constructing meaning-making narratives from their cancer experience.
Method:
In this consensual qualitative research study, we interviewed 30 Black women with cancer histories with an average age of 64.5.
Results:
The religious practice of testimony emerged as the predominant theme. Testimony (a) provided a meaningful purpose to the cancer experience; (b) had a specific content of describing what God had done in their lives as well as some common theological emphases; (c) had dual desired outcomes of helping others and bringing glory to God; and (d) had an associated practice of giving testimony.
Conclusion:
We discuss testimony as a narrative structure and highlight its importance in informing culturally sensitive interventions aimed at supporting Black women with cancer. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

