Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Predictors of Self-Reported Family Health History of Breast Cancer

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify predictors of self-reported family health history of breast cancer in an ethnically diverse population of women participating in a breast cancer screening program. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire about their demography, health, breast health and family health history of breast cancer. The association between family health history of breast cancer and categorical variables were analyzed using the T test, chi square, and multi-nominal logistic regression. Those who were least likely to report a family history of cancer were African Americans (p = 0.02), and immigrant women from South America (p < 0.001) and Africa (p = 0.04). However, 34.4 % reported having a second-degree maternal relative with breast cancer compared to 6.9 % who reported having a second degree paternal relative with breast cancer. Therefore, there is a need to increase efforts to educate families about the importance of collecting and sharing one’s family health history.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. 2012. Atlanta, GA, American Cancer Society.

  2. Andersen R, Newman JF. Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Milbank Mem Fund Q Health Soc. 1973;51(1):95–124.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Consedine NS, Magai C, Spiller R, Neugut AI, Conway F. Breast cancer knowledge and beliefs in subpopulations of African American and Caribbean women. Am J Health Behav. 2004;28(3):260–71.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Consedine NS, Magai C, Krivoshekova YS, Ryzewicz L, Neugut AI. Fear, anxiety, worry, and breast cancer screening behavior: a critical review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev. 2004;13(4):501–10.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Magai C, Consedine N, Conway F, Neugut A, Culver C. Diversity matters: unique populations of women and breast cancer screening. Cancer. 2004;100(11):2300–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Glanz K, Resch N, Lerman C, Rimer BK. Black-white differences in factors influencing mammography use among employed female health maintenance organization members. Ethn Health. 1996;1(3):207–20.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lee JR, Vogel VG. Who uses screening mammography regularly? Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev. 1995;4(8):901–6.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Butterworth A. Family history as a risk factor for common, complex disease. Public Health Genetics; 2007.

  9. Struewing JP, Hartge P, Wacholder S, et al. The risk of cancer associated with specific mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 among Ashkenazi Jews. N Engl J Med. 1997;336(20):1401–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Kaphingst KA, Goodman M, Pandya C, Garg P, Stafford J, Lachance C. Factors affecting frequency of communication about family health history with family members and doctors in a medically underserved population. Patient Educ Couns. 2012;88(2):291–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ashida S, Kaphingst KA, Goodman M, Schafer EJ. Family health history communication networks of older adults: importance of social relationships and disease perceptions. Health Educ Behav. 2013;40:612–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Ashida S, Goodman MS, Stafford J, Lachance C, Kaphingst KA. Perceived familiarity with and importance of family health history among a medically underserved population. J Community Genet. 2012;3(4):285–95.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Orom H, Cote ML, Gonzalez HM, Underwood W III, Schwartz AG. Family history of cancer: is it an accurate indicator of cancer risk in the immigrant population? Cancer. 2008;112(2):399–406.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim SE, Perez-Stable EJ, Wong S, et al. Association between cancer risk perception and screening behavior among diverse women. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(7):728–34.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Kelly KM, Shedlosky-Shoemaker R, Porter K, Remy A, DeSimone P, Andrykowski MA. Cancer family history reporting: impact of method and psychosocial factors. J Genet Couns. 2007;16(3):373–82.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Sheppard VB, Christopher J, Nwabukwu I. Breaking the silence barrier: opportunities to address breast cancer in African-born women. J Natl Med Assoc. 2010;102(6):461–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. BreastCancer.org. 2013.

  18. Ihemelandu CU, Leffall LD Jr, Dewitty RL, et al. Molecular breast cancer subtypes in premenopausal African-American women, tumor biologic factors and clinical outcome. Ann Surg Oncol. 2007;14(10):2994–3003.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ihemelandu CU, Leffall LD Jr, Dewitty RL, et al. Molecular breast cancer subtypes in premenopausal and postmenopausal African-American women: age-specific prevalence and survival. J Surg Res. 2007;143(1):109–18.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Morris GJ, Naidu S, Topham AK, et al. Differences in breast carcinoma characteristics in newly diagnosed African-American and Caucasian patients: a single-institution compilation compared with the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Cancer. 2007;110(4):876–84.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kerber RA, Slattery ML. Comparison of self-reported and database-linked family history of cancer data in a case-control study. Am J Epidemiol. 1997;146(3):244–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR-UL1RR031975), National Institutes of Health, through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA), a trademark of DHHS, part of the Roadmap Initiative, “Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise”; from the RCMI Program at Howard University, Division of Research Infrastructure, National Center for Research Resources, NIH (NCRR-G12 RR003048) and the Howard University Cancer Center/Johns Hopkins Cancer Center Partnership, National Cancer Institute, (NCI-U54 CA091431). Permission has been obtained from individuals listed on the acknowledgements.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research Center, Frank Fountain Biomedical Research Building, Hampton University, 27 Tyler Street, Hampton, VA, 23668, USA

    Luisel J. Ricks-Santi

  2. Howard University Hospital, Howard University Cancer Center, 2041 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA

    Nicole Thompson, Kimberly Higginbotham, Cherie Spencer, Adeyinka Laiyemo, Robert DeWitty, Lori Wilson, Sara Horton, Jacqueline Dunmore-Griffith, Carla Williams & Wayne Frederick

  3. Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Altovise Ewing

  4. Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Howard University College of Medicine, Howard University Graduate School, 2041 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA

    Barbara Harrison

  5. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Howard University Graduate School, 2041 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA

    Carla Williams

  6. Cancer Research Center, Frank Fountain Biomedical Research Building, Hampton University, 39 Tyler Street, Hampton, VA, 23668, USA

    Luisel J. Ricks-Santi

  7. Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street, Washington, DC, 20059, USA

    Wayne Frederick

Authors
  1. Luisel J. Ricks-Santi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicole Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Altovise Ewing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Barbara Harrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kimberly Higginbotham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Cherie Spencer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Adeyinka Laiyemo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Robert DeWitty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Lori Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Sara Horton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Jacqueline Dunmore-Griffith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Carla Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Wayne Frederick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luisel J. Ricks-Santi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ricks-Santi, L.J., Thompson, N., Ewing, A. et al. Predictors of Self-Reported Family Health History of Breast Cancer. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 1175–1182 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0253-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0253-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation