Knowledge of antioxidants and breast cancer risk among women attending breast cancer risk assessment clinics.

This qualitative study used semistructured interviews to examine the accuracy of knowledge concerning antioxidants and health among a convenience sample of 79 women attending a breast cancer risk assessment clinic. Despite a high level of familiarity (98%) with the word antioxidant, few participants could name more than one of these compounds and most relied on print media (41.6%) and radio/TV (22.2%) for antioxidant information. Thematic content analysis revealed participants' beliefs that antioxidants were strongly linked to reduced breast cancer risk and improved health. They described antioxidant functions that take place before (e.g., "Prevention . . . a best defense mechanism" and "To boost strength and good health") or after (e.g., "Fights diseases, free radicals, and cancer," "Acts as a cleanser or purifier," and "Undoes the harm that I am consciously or unconsciously doing to my body") a health threat. Participants' understandings of the links between antioxidant intake and breast cancer risk did not accurately reflect the scientific evidence. This large priority population group needs tailored, evidence-based nutrition communications to address inaccurate understandings about antioxidant intake and breast cancer risk.

Information needs of women at risk of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Information needs and current information sources related to healthy eating, active living, and healthy body weight were examined in women attending breast cancer risk assessment clinics. METHODS: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 257 women over 20 years old. The women completed a self-administered survey (52.8% response rate) containing both closed- and open-ended questions. Most respondents were 49 or younger, were English-speaking, reported annual family incomes over $140,000, and resided in urban communities. RESULTS: Participants reported a need for general information concerning healthy eating, active living, and healthy body weight. For example, they wanted information on reading food labels (51.0%), healthy recipes (51.0%), activities for increasing overall fitness (52.5%), and achieving healthy body weights (48.6%). They also wanted information concerning the relationships between cancer risk and specific foods and nutrients, such as antioxidants (65.0%), supplements (60.7%), phytochemicals (47.5%), and omega-3 fatty acids (45.5%). Participants most often turned to magazines, friends, and family members when they wanted information on healthy eating, active living, and healthy body weight. CONCLUSIONS: These findings present an opportunity for dietitians to enhance their leadership role in creating and disseminating evidence-based information to meet the expressed needs of women who may be at increased risk for breast cancer.

Cultural relevance of a fruit and vegetable food frequency questionnaire.

PURPOSE: Canada's multicultural population poses challenges for culturally competent nutrition research and practice. In this qualitative study, the cultural relevance of a widely used semi-quantitative fruit and vegetable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was examined among convenience samples of adults from Toronto's Cantonese-, Mandarin-, Portuguese-, and Vietnamese-speaking communities. METHODS: Eighty-nine participants were recruited through community-based organizations, programs, and advertisements to participate in semi-structured interviews moderated in their native language. Data from the interviews were translated into English and transcribed for analysis using the constant comparative approach. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the analysis: the cultural relevance of the foods listed on the FFQ, words with multiple meanings, the need for culturally appropriate portion-size prompts, and the telephone survey as a Western concept. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the importance of investing resources to develop culturally relevant dietary assessment tools that ensure dietary assessment accuracy and, more important, reduce ethnocentric biases in food and nutrition research and practice. The transferability of findings must be established through further research.

Reactions of health professionals to a research-based theatre production.

BACKGROUND: There is a recent trend in the social sciences--predominantly among researchers engaged with qualitative methodologies--to translate research finding into artistic and narrative forms. In this paper, we describe our work in translating finding about the experiences of men with prostate cancer and their spouses into a dramatic production, No Big Deal? We then report upon, and provide commentary about data from interviews with health professionals who attended a performance. METHODS: Health professionals (N = 26) were interviewed within 2 weeks of attending a performance of No Big Deal? and again 6 months later (N = 23). RESULTS: After attendance at the performance, many study participants reported (at both interview times): new awareness or understanding about the issues facing prostate cancer patients; reinforcements of their positive attitudes and behaviors in relation to patients; an increased sense of connection with ill people; and plans to alter their clinical practices to better meet patient needs. CONCLUSIONS: Narrative and dramatic forms are viable ways to communicate vital information about the possibilities for professionals to be helpful to patients--and they are the wave of the future for educational and dissemination practices.

An examination of cancer risk beliefs among adults from Toronto's Somali, Chinese, Russian and Spanish-speaking communities.

BACKGROUND: Canada's growing ethnocultural diversity challenges health professionals to develop culturally sensitive cancer prevention strategies. Little is known about the ethnocultural specificity of cancer risk beliefs. This qualitative pilot study examined cancer risk beliefs, focusing on diet, among adults from Toronto's Somali, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish-speaking communities. METHOD: Group interviews (n = 4) were conducted with convenience samples of adults (total n = 45) from four ethnocultural communities (total 45 participants). RESULTS: The constant comparison method of data analysis identified three common themes: knowledge of cancer risk factors, concern about the food supply, and the roles of spiritual and emotional well-being. Two areas of contrasting belief concerning specific mediators of cancer risk were identified. INTERPRETATION: Findings support the investigation of cultural-specific health promotion strategies emphasizing both the maintenance of traditional cancer protective eating practices and the adoption of additional healthy eating practices among new Canadians. More research is needed to enhance our understanding of ethnoculturally specific cancer risk beliefs and practices to ensure the cultural relevance of programming.

Staging breast cancer, rehearsing metastatic disease.

Social science researchers have fruitfully used a range of conceptualizations of "performance": as a metaphor for social life, a way of vivifying research findings, and a form of scholarly representation. In this article, the researchers consider performance in its hermeneutic sense, as a way of generating meaning. The drama Handle With Care? Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer was created by a research team, a theater troupe, and women with breast cancer. The researchers employ an interpretive phenomenologicalframework to explore interviews with women with breast cancer involved in creating Handle With Care? The performative context in which the drama developed allowed certain illness meanings to emerge, intensify, and shift. The article also considers ethical dilemmas surfaced by this project.

The use of research-based theatre in a project related to metastatic breast cancer.

Research-based theatre represents an innovative approach to disseminating the results of qualitative studies. In this paper, we provide a rationale for the importance of research-based theatre and also review previous work that has been done in the area. We then describe our experience in transforming research data into a dramatic production, Handle with Care? This production was based on two studies - one with women with metastatic breast cancer, and the other with medical oncologists treating breast cancer patients. Results from ongoing assessment of the project are reported. We discuss some of the factors related to the success of Handle with Care? and reflect on what has been learned about the process of developing dramatic pieces related to serious illness.

Canadian family physicians and prostate cancer: a national survey.

A sample of family physicians was randomly selected from the membership database of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). Potential respondents were mailed a survey questionnaire, and a modified Dillman approach was utilized. A total of 964 completed questionnaires were received, providing a response rate of 50.1%. Although most family physicians were aware of many basic facts about prostate cancer, there were knowledge limitations related to risk factors, relative frequency of the disease (to other cancers), and selected aspects of PSA effectiveness. There was considerable variation in perceived effectiveness of early detection methods, with most physicians taking a conservative approach to PSA utilization. Most family physicians indicated that they have an important role to play in the care of men after they have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. They also expressed a high level of interest in obtaining additional information related to prostate cancer.