Medical Advocacy among Latina Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Paola Torres, Judith Guitelman, Araceli Lucio, Christine Rini and Yamilé Molina ()
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Paola Torres: University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Judith Guitelman: Asociación Latina de Asistencia y Prevención del Cáncer de Mama (ALAS-WINGS), Chicago, IL 60657, USA
Araceli Lucio: The Resurrection Project, Chicago 60608, IL, USA
Christine Rini: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Yamilé Molina: University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: Medical advocacy has continued to significantly impact quality of life and survivorship outcomes among Latina breast cancer survivors in the United States. However, little is known about the unique experiences of Latina survivors, including the perceived value, process, and context in which they practice medical advocacy. To help address this gap, we conducted a qualitative, secondary analysis of semi-structured focus groups with 18 Latina breast cancer survivors from Chicago, Illinois. Eligible women had to self-identify as (1) female, (2) Latina, (3) 18 years or older, and (4) having a breast cancer diagnosis 5 years ago or more. In total, 61% of participants were 50–59 years old, 83% were born in Mexico, and 100% spoke Spanish. The three emergent themes from the focus groups were (1) the cultural need for Latina advocates and support groups; (2) the process and experiences of becoming a community advocate within Latine culture; and (3) the cultural contexts for advocacy by Latina breast cancer survivors. Latina survivor advocates share strengths of receiving ongoing health education, peer support, and access to resources when being linked to a support group furthering their exposure to role models, increasing their awareness of opportunities in medical advocacy, and providing an entry to participate in medical advocacy.

Keywords: breast cancer; health disparities; Latinas; medical advocacy; survivorship; community health research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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