Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Robert Marino

Abstract

Decades of research supports the notion that breastfeeding may help prevent breast and ovarian cancer in women. Women with a family history of these cancers are at greater risk. African American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates, yet the highest breast and ovarian cancer mortality rates. No studies have been conducted exploring the impact of being informed about breastfeeding from health care providers, breastfeeding support services, or family and friends and the relationship between their knowledge of family history of breast or ovarian cancer and breastfeeding duration for African American women. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether breastfeeding information received could influence breastfeeding duration among African American women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The theory of planned behavior provided the theoretical framework. The research questions examined relationships between knowledge of family history of breast or ovarian cancer, breastfeeding information received, and breastfeeding duration. Breastfeeding information received was the mediating variable. Using a cross-sectional, correlational design, data from the 2018 Michigan Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (n = 792) were obtained. One-way ANOVA and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between the main effects hypotheses, and the Hayes PROCESS analysis was used to examine mediation. There were no statistically significant associations between the variables. Implications for positive social change include improvement of breastfeeding education by raising awareness about the connection between breastfeeding, breast and ovarian cancer, and family history of these cancers.

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