Differences in Breast Self-Examination Techniques between Caucasian and African American Elderly Women

Abstract

The efficacy of breast self-examination (BSE) is controversial, recommendations to women are mixed, and reported differences by race in BSE are contrary to what is expected. We attribute this, in part, to measurement error in studies assessing the effectiveness of BSE. We assess differences by race in self-reported BSE while controlling selected sociodemographic indicators, BSE training, embarrassment, and perceived competence. Data are from personal interviews with 1011 women ages 50 and older, with approximately equal numbers of African Americans and Caucasians reporting that they examine their own breasts. African American women are more likely than Caucasians to report examining their breasts visually, whereas Caucasian women are more likely than African Americans to report tactile examination of breast tissue, consistent with recommended BSE procedure. BSE measures must be multidimensional to detect differences by race to guide interventions promoting self-detection of breast lumps, early presentation, and mortality reduction.