Abstract A59: Influence of Spirituality on Cancer Risk Assessment Decisions: Perspectives of Hispanic & non-Hispanic Women

Abstract

Abstract Spirituality has been a prominent coping resource among those facing cancer and can be especially relevant in dealing with the uncertainty of cancer risk. As part of a larger study, the aim of this study was to explore how spirituality influences decisions to get cancer risk assessment among Hispanic and non-Hispanic women in New Mexico. A total of 16 women with a personal history of breast and ovarian cancer participated in focus group or an interview. Ethnically, 50% of participants identified as Hispanic and racially, 69% identified as White. The mean age was 56 years old, 63% had a college degree, and 69% had a yearly household income of < $50,000. A majority (81%) of women stated that their spirituality was important or highly important in their lives. Although 94% replied that their spirituality does not influence their decisions to get genetic testing, discussion of spirituality within the context of getting cancer risk assessment was especially relevant among Hispanic participants. Qualitative analyses were done to extract themes on how spirituality might act as a facilitator or barrier to engaging in cancer risk assessment. Among non-Hispanic participants, there was acknowledgement of how spirituality may impact others' decision and a strong sentiment that spirituality not was relevant in their personal decisions for genetic testing. Among English-speaking Hispanic participants, there was a strong emphasis on the role that spirituality plays in well-being and as a central role in New Mexican Hispanic culture. Among Spanish-Speaking Hispanic participants, spirituality was paramount in coping with the experience of breast cancer and in encouraging genetic testing and screening as an avenue to protect health for individual and the family. In conclusion, spirituality may not have a direct influence on decisions to seek genetic testing for cancer risk, but the indirect influence of spirituality through culture and as a coping resource does vary by ethnicity. Citation Format: Belinda Vicuna. Influence of Spirituality on Cancer Risk Assessment Decisions: Perspectives of Hispanic & non-Hispanic Women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A59.