Feeling healthy: So why should Mexican-descent women screen for breast cancer?

Mexican-descent women are at particular risk of late-stage breast cancer di agnosis by being the least likely of the major U.S. Hispanic subgroups to u ndergo breast cancer screening. This grounded theory study investigated how cultural health beliefs regarding the causes and nature of breast cancer i nfluence women's decision to participate in screening. Thirty-four women (a ge 49 to 81) were interviewed in five focus groups using theoretical sampli ng across levels of acculturation and socioeconomic status. Analysis of the most prevalent cultural health beliefs led to a discovery that the core pr oblem Mexican-descent Women face is that they perceive there is no reason t o participate in breast cancer screening when they are 'feeling healthy." I n addition, women who subjectively and cognitively feel healthy and otherwi se have no evidence of illness according to their cultural health beliefs a re unlikely to risk feeling ill rather than healthy by seeking to discover breast cancer through screening.