DIFFERING BELIEFS ABOUT BREAST-CANCER AMONG LATINAS AND ANGLO WOMEN

To improve breast cancer control among Latinas, it is important to und erstand culturally based beliefs that may influence the way women view this disease. We did a telephone survey of randomly selected Latinas and non-Hispanic white (Angle) women in Orange County, California, to explore such beliefs using questions from previous national surveys an d an ethnographic study of breast cancer. Respondents included 803 Lat inas and 422 Angle women. Latinas were more likely than Angle women to believe that factors such as breast trauma (71% versus 39%) and breas t fondling (27% versus 6%) increased the risk of breast cancer, less l ikely to know that symptoms such as breast lumps (89% versus 98%) and bloody breast discharge (69% versus 88%) could indicate breast cancer, and more likely to believe that mammograms were necessary only to eva luate breast lumps (35% versus 11%) (P < .01 for each). After adjustin g for age, education, employment status, insurance status, and income, logistic regression analysis confirmed that Latino ethnicity and accu lturation levels were significant predictors of these beliefs. We conc lude that Latinas' beliefs about breast cancer differ in important way s from those of Angle women and that these beliefs may reflect the mor al framework within which Latinas interpret diseases. These findings a re important for the development of culturally sensitive breast cancer control programs and for practicing physicians.