EFFECTS OF COUNSELING AND ETHNIC-IDENTITY ON PERCEIVED RISK AND CANCER WORRY IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN

Improving breast screening behaviors in African American women is an i mportant public health goal. To increase participation in screening, i t is necessary to identify factors that contribute to reduced screenin g, including perceived risk and cancer worry. This paper presents pred ictors of changes perceived in risk and worry among African American w omen of differing ethnic identities as they undergo breast cancer risk counseling. Participants (n = 113) were recruited from community sour ces to a study of counseling for breast cancer risk, They completed a baseline assessment, randomly received breast cancer risk counseling o r sewed as a control group, and completed a follow-up assessment. Coun seling produced significant differences in perceived risk and cancer w orry. Predictors of risk and worry changes, as a result of counseling, included income and ethnic identity. These data can guide better serv ices for African American women and research into the complexity of th e effects of ethnic identity on health.