Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Health Services
Advisor
Chinaro Kennedy
Abstract
Breast cancer incidence is suddenly increasing among African American women. Recent studies indicate that health behaviors are thought to confer important health benefits and have the potential to lowering breast cancer incidence. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between health behaviors of fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, and physical activity and breast cancer after adjusting for age, body mass index, and smoker status. Social support and income level were assessed as modifiers. Using the 2012 to 2017 Health Information and National Trends Survey data, this study was conducted with 10,592 participants using logistic regression. No statistically significant association was observed between fruit and vegetable consumption and breast cancer; however, there was a statistically significant association between physical activity and breast cancer (p = .018, odds ratio =. 435, CI 95%= [.218-.867]). These findings are consistent with studies indicating that physical activity was a potential factor in reducing breast cancer risk, and consistent with studies indicating inconsistency on the association between fruit and vegetable intake and breast cancer. A positive social change implication might be the possibility to tailor inexpensive interventions to motivate and sustain physical activity such as voucher to empower women to be active. Future studies with precise measures of dietary intake of fruits and vegetables after adjusting genetic factors are recommended.
Recommended Citation
Ekoue, Nicole, "Health Behaviors of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, Physical Activity, and Breast Cancer among African American Women" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8282.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8282
