Use of the Talking Circle for Comanche Women’s Breast Health Education

Abstract

As breast cancer screening is critical to early detection and treatment, it is imperative to furnish health care providers with effective educational materials for the populations they serve. To do so for Comanche American Indian women requires understanding the cultural constructs that influence the use of screening and treatment recommendations. The purpose of this article is to describe the health-illness beliefs and barriers to breast health for a group of Comanche women. This was a descriptive, qualitative study guided by the principles of community-based participatory research. Seven community health representatives serving Comanche women participated in a "Talking Circle," an indigenous method of making decisions and conducting group process among American Indian people. Themes were Barriers to Information, Barriers to Screening, Economic Barriers, Barriers to Follow-up, and Protecting Our Women. This study provided insight into barriers to breast health for women in the Comanche Nation. These findings contribute to a foundation for enhancements needed to make breast health education and interventions culturally appropriate. These findings also add to the cultural knowledge of nurses for use in the practice area to improve understanding and communication with American Indian patients.