Beliefs, knowledge, and behavior about cancer among urban Hispanic women

As part of a cancer prevention program aimed at minority and disadvantaged urban women, cancer beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors were assessed among home-health attendants in the Bronx, N.Y. Information, was gathered from 876 Hispanic women who comprised 62% of the female home-attendant study population from whom data were collected (n = 1413). Of these women, 82% (n = 718) were Spanish speaking and 18% (n = 158) were English speaking as defined by their choice to complete the survey questionnaire in Spanish or English. As a whole, the population reported high levels of obtaining screening tests and engaging in preventive behaviors. However, nearly 60% did not know what cervical cancer was. The most important predictor of inadequate cancer screening was lack of knowledge. Large numbers of women subscribed to cancer misconceptions, such as the belief that bumps or bruises cause cancer. Fifty-eight percent believed that surgery causes cancer to spread, a belief that may prevent a woman with breast cancer from undergoing early intervention procedures, such as lumpectomy. This survey indicated that Hispanic women in our population engaged in relatively high levels of cancer preventive behaviors, even though their knowledge base was limited. Many of them hold misperceptions about cancer that can have an impact on preventive behaviors. We conclude that cancer prevention programs targeting the Hispanic populations should emphasize the provision of factual information about cancer and cancer-screening behaviors in the context of an exploration of inaccurate beliefs about cancer that may inhibit preventive health behaviors.