Acculturation, coping style and decision making about genetic testing in Hispanic women at risk for breast and ovarian cancer

This study was designed to explore decision making regarding genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in Hispanic females at familial risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer. This study also aimed at determining the relationship between level of acculturation, individual coping styles, and decision making about genetic testing in Hispanic first and second degree relatives (FSDRs) of breast and ovarian cancer patients.;One hundred and ten Hispanic female first (n = 66) and second degree (n = 44) relatives of Br/Ov Ca patients completed questionnaires assessing socio-demographic information, family history of Br/Ov Ca (used to calculate empiric genetic risk), perceived Br/Ov Ca risk, interest in and readiness to undergo genetic testing, perceived benefits (pros) and drawbacks (cons) of testing (used to calculate decisional balance), level of overt behavioral acculturation, spirituality/religiosity (including beliefs, practices, and social support), and individual coping style.;Consistent with expectations and prior research findings in the majority culture, the more benefits respondents saw in finding out whether or not they were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, the more likely they were to show interest in being tested for genetic susceptibility and the sooner they wanted to get tested. Moreover, those who expressed interest in testing had a significantly higher decisional balance score (pros > cons) than those who were unsure and those who expressed no interest. The majority of the participants in the present study viewed the benefits of susceptibility testing in an overly positive light and their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer in an overly negative light. However, women who were younger, highly acculturated, more affluent, and had more years of formal education perceived fewer benefits in undergoing genetic testing. In addition, consistent with expectations, the more Hispanic participants utilized avoidant coping strategies such as denial, self-distraction, and behavioral disengagement, the more likely they were to see drawbacks in electing to be tested for genetic susceptibility. Highly spiritual or religious Hispanic women demonstrated a tendency to see more benefits in undergoing susceptibility testing than those who did not rely on such coping strategies. Findings also suggested that knowledge of BRCA1/2 carrier status would motivate this sample of Hispanic FSDRs to take a more proactive health stance (e.g., perform breast self exams more frequently, or go for more frequent mammograms). (Abstract shortened by UMI.).