School of Public Health
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1633
The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.
Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.
Browse
5 results
Search Results
Item Psychosocial protective interventions for African American/Black female breast cancer survivors: A systematic integrative review.(2021-04-12) Gordon, Talya; Lee, Lena J.; Tchangalova, Nedelina; Brooks, Alyssa T.BACKGROUND: Despite the higher incidence rate of breast cancer among African American women compared to their White counterparts, this populations’ five-year survival rate has increased in recent years. The growing number of African American breast cancer survivors highlights the need for culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions to improve survivors’ quality of life and psychological wellbeing. OBJECTIVE: This systematic integrative review provides an overview of the current research-based psychosocial interventions for African American breast cancer survivors supplemented by an overview of the qualitative studies focusing on psychosocial wellbeing. METHODS: Utilizing the evidence-based PEO framework, a search of five databases was conducted for English-language articles published between 2013–2020: Pubmed, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Studies were excluded if there was a lack of primary data collection or if the population in the study was not identified as African American female breast cancer survivors. The seven interventions and twenty-one qualitative studies included in the final analysis underwent data extraction, critical appraisal using SRQR and STROBE checklists, and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were identified in the search, including seven interventions and twenty-one qualitative studies. Analysis of the interventions revealed the importance of alleviating structural barriers and including peer support for African American breast cancer survivors. Analysis of the qualitative studies revealed five main themes: 1) spirituality and religion as a protective factor, 2) social support as a protective factor, 3) cultural perceptions of breast cancer, 4) negative impacts of treatment, and 5) healthcare system experience. CONCLUSUION: While study designs differed in the interventions, this review showed the critical need for culturally competent psychoeducational interventions for African American breast cancer survivors to improve this population’s psychological wellbeing. The qualitative research highlighted the importance of spirituality and social support as protective factors for African American breast cancer survivors’ psychological wellbeing. Further research using rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting practices is needed to further evaluate how to most effectively alleviate structural barriers that African American breast cancer survivors face.Item Psychosocial protective interventions for African American female breast cancer survivors: A systematic integrative review(Annals of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 55 (Suppl.1), pp. S384-384, 2021) Gordon, Talya; Brooks, Alyssa T.; Lee, Lena J.; Tchangalova, NedelinaBACKGROUND: Despite the higher incidence rate of breast cancer among African American women compared to their White counterparts, this populations’ five-year survival rate has increased in recent years. The growing number of African American breast cancer survivors highlights the need for culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions to improve survivors’ quality of life and psychological wellbeing. OBJECTIVE: This systematic integrative review provides an overview of the current research-based psychosocial interventions for African American breast cancer survivors supplemented by an overview of the qualitative studies focusing on psychosocial wellbeing. METHODS: Utilizing the evidence-based PEO framework, a search of five databases was conducted for English-language articles published between 2013–2020: Pubmed, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Studies were excluded if there was a lack of primary data collection or if the population in the study was not identified as African American female breast cancer survivors. The seven interventions and twenty-one qualitative studies included in the final analysis underwent data extraction, critical appraisal using SRQR and STROBE checklists, and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were identified in the search, including seven interventions and twenty-one qualitative studies. Analysis of the interventions revealed the importance of alleviating structural barriers and including peer support for African American breast cancer survivors. Analysis of the qualitative studies revealed five main themes: 1) spirituality and religion as a protective factor, 2) social support as a protective factor, 3) cultural perceptions of breast cancer, 4) negative impacts of treatment, and 5) healthcare system experience. CONCLUSION: While study designs differed in the interventions, this review showed the critical need for culturally competent psychoeducational interventions for African American breast cancer survivors to improve this population’s psychological wellbeing. The qualitative research highlighted the importance of spirituality and social support as protective factors for African American breast cancer survivors’ psychological wellbeing. Further research using rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting practices is needed to further evaluate how to most effectively alleviate structural barriers that African American breast cancer survivors face.Item Psychosocial protective interventions associated with a better quality of life and psychological wellbeing for African American/Black female breast cancer survivors: An integrative review(Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021-08-21) Gordon, Talya; Lee, Lena J.; Tchangalova, Nedelina; Brooks, Alyssa T.PURPOSE This integrative review provides an overview of current psychosocial interventions and qualitative studies exploring African American Breast Cancer Survivors (AABCS)’ psychosocial wellbeing. METHODS We conducted a search of five databases: PubMed, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed articles written in English and published from 2011 to May 26, 2021 were included. We critically appraised intervention studies and qualitative studies using established frameworks. RESULTS Of the 633 unique studies identified, seven interventions and twenty-one qualitative studies were included. Analysis of the interventions revealed the importance of alleviating structural barriers and facilitating peer support for AABCS. Analysis of the qualitative studies revealed seven themes: (1) spirituality/religion, (2) social support, (3) cultural perceptions of BC, (4) lack of representation, (5) negative impacts of treatment, (6) healthcare system experience, and (7) barriers to psychosocial care. CONCLUSIONS This review highlights the dearth of psychosocial interventions created specifically for AABCS. The qualitative literature in this review elucidates the unique psychosocial challenges that AABCS experience, providing rich data to inform the creation of future culturally competent interventions in this population. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS This review found spirituality and social support to be protective factors for AABCS’ psychosocial wellbeing. Further research using rigorous methodologies is needed to further evaluate how to most effectively alleviate structural barriers that AABCS face in obtaining long-term support.Item “STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOW WE’RE…WHERE?”” A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRESS AND COPING AMONG HIGHLY EDUCATED BLACK WOMEN(2021) Ellick, Kecia Lurie; Lewin, Amy B; Roy, Kevin M; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Rationale: Black women suffer disproportionate rates of stress-related diseases including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, maternal mortality, and depression. Education is promoted as a protective factor against these outcomes. An increasing number of Black women are leveraging advanced degrees to secure leadership positions in education, law, science, and technology. Yet, highly educated, middle-class Black women experience the same deleterious health outcomes, at the same rates, as Black women living in poverty. This suggests that neither education nor its correlates protect Black women from harmful outcomes. It further suggests that, for Black women, the cost of social mobility afforded by advanced education may result in diminishing returns by reproducing and reinforcing social inequalities that inform and exacerbate negative experiences.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of highly educated Black women during their prime work, partnering, and reproductive years. This study examined the strategies that highly educated Black women employed to cope with stressors perceived while navigating, negotiating, and performing multiple roles, social identities, and responsibilities in their personal and professional lives. Methods: Data was collected from a sample of Black, middle-class women living in Georgia, ages 28 - 49, with doctorate degrees (n = 24, Mage = 40.2) via in-person, semi-structured interviews. Following a constructivist grounded theory approach, a triadic scheme of open, axial, and selective coding will be performed to uncover emergent themes from women’s narratives. Findings: Evaluation of the data revealed three central themes that serve as the main findings of this study and answer the study questions about how highly educated Black women experience and cope with stress: 1) redefining of the strong Black woman, 2) prioritization of self-care practices and, 3) unapologetic authenticity. Discussion: This study explored the heterogeneity of Black women and contributes to the body literature focused on the interactive effects of race, gender, and class. It provides empirical data on the ways in which Black women experience, perceive, and respond to stress and highlights the ways in which Black women take proactive approaches to protect their health and well-being.Item "That Chart Ain't For Us": An Examination of Black Women's Understandings of BMI, Health, and Physical Activity(2019) Thompson, Tori; Jette, Shannon; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Significantly, black women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the United States, with 60% being classified as obese per the BMI (CDC, 2017). However, there is currently a lack of scholarship which examines black women’s perceptions of the BMI, and how/if those perceptions influence their attitudes toward health and physical activity. In this project, I take a Foucauldian approach to analyze data collected from eight semi-structured interviews with black women who self- identify as obese and who are physically active. Findings suggest that black women find the BMI to be irrelevant to their health and well-being, and do not attribute their engagement in physical activity to their BMI. Instead, their reasons for partaking in physical activity are due to their individual experiences understandings of health and black female identity. These results have the potential to inform healthcare policies, physician practice, and public health interventions that target communities of color.