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The influence of social support on breast cancer screening in a multicultural community sample.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine the relationship between women's reported social support and their adherence to recommended breast cancer screening guidelines.


DESIGN
Descriptive, cross-sectional survey.


SETTING
Community women's organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.


SAMPLE
833 mostly low-income women with a mean age of 46.2 years from three racial or ethnic groups (i.e., Latina, Caucasian, and African American) who were not breast cancer survivors.


METHODS
Social support was measured with a five-item, four-point, Likert scale developed for the study (Cronbach's alpha = 0.7248). Adherence to screening guidelines was measured by asking frequency of performing breast self-examination (BSE) and frequency of obtaining a clinical breast examination (CBE) and a mammogram. Research assistants and leaders of women's organizations conducted the survey in work and community settings.


MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Social support, performance of BSE, obtaining a CBE and a mammogram, income, education, spoken language, and level of acculturation.


FINDINGS
Higher levels of social support were related to higher income and higher education. Lower levels of social support were associated with being Latina, completing the survey in Spanish, and being born abroad. Women who did not adhere to screening guidelines (for BSE or CBE) reported less social support.


CONCLUSIONS
Social support is associated with adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines.


IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Nurses should assess women's levels of social support as a factor when evaluating adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines.