Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Eileen Fowles

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in African-American (AA) women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States among AA women ages 40 to 55 years of age. The 5-year breast cancer survival rates for AA women (78%) are lower than are those of Caucasian women (90%). The purpose of this project was to describe the benefits and barriers toward screening mammograms for breast cancer in AA women living in the Southside Health District in Virginia. The subscales of The Champion's Mammography Beliefs and Attitudes Questionnaire (MBAQ, 1999), which is based on the health belief model variables of perceived benefits and barriers, guided this project. A convenience sampling of AA women (n = 112) from 10 different churches in Brunswick and Mecklenburg County, Virginia completed Champion's MBAQ after participating in an educational program based on the Susan G. Komen's breast self-awareness messages. Descriptive analyzes revealed that 54% of the participants either agreed or strongly agreed with the perceived benefits to getting a screening mammogram, whereas 7% either agreed or strongly agreed with the perceived barriers to getting a screening mammogram. The results of this project are consistent with the literature and support the idea that it is imperative to educate AA women about screening mammograms in places where they socialize. This project contributed to social change in nursing practice by enhancing the awareness among AA women that early screening mammograms save lives.

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