The psychosocial impact of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment amongst Black, South Asian and White women: Do differences exist between ethnic groups?

Patel, Geeta; Harcourt, Diana; Rumsey, Nichola; Naqvi, Habib; White, Paul

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in females, affecting women of all ethnic groups. Until now, very little research has captured the psychosocial impact of the disease amongst Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women, and that which has been conducted has been restricted to English-speaking participants. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of five Gujarati-speaking Indian women with regard to their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; all five had Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and lived in the UK. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted in Gujarati, with the assistance of an interpreter. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the data revealed 3 key themes: making sense of the cancer, importance of support and body image concerns. The findings show that these women’s experiences were influenced by culturally specific concerns, especially in relation to knowledge of breast cancer and language barriers. This study has implications for healthcare professionals in terms of providing culturally competent care and support to BME women with LEP.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Aug 25, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 21, 2016
• Journal: Diversity and Equality in Health and Care
• Print ISSN: 2049-5471
• Publisher: Insight Medical Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Keywords: breast cancer, ethnic groups, psychosocial impact, visible difference, body image
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/830230
• Publisher URL: http://diversityhealthcare.imedpub.com/exploring-the-lived-experience-of-breast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment-amongst-gujarati-speaking-indian-women.php?aid=3731
• Contract Date: Jun 21, 2016