Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Peer support preferences among African-American breast cancer survivors and caregivers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Breast cancer mortality rates continue to improve due to advances in cancer control and treatment. However, gains in breast cancer survival rates vary by race. Psychosocial support systems can lead to improved health outcomes among cancer survivors. This study was a part of a larger study exploring the challenges that both African-American cancer survivors and caregivers face across the cancer continuum. The objective of this paper was to explore African-American breast cancer survivors’ and caregivers’ preferences regarding characteristics and qualities of Peer Connect guides to inform the development of a peer support program.

Methods

Forty-one African-American cancer survivors and caregivers participated in five focus groups lasting approximately 90 min. Participants were asked about what qualities or characteristics they would prefer in a peer support guide to make them feel comfortable talking with them. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis, an iterative coding process. Themes were identified based on the research team’s integrated and unified final codes.

Results

Twenty-two cancer survivors, 19 caregivers, and 3 individuals who were both survivors and caregivers participated in the focus groups. Participants discussed five preferences for peer support guides: (1) competency, (2) gender, (3) age, (4) cancer role status, and (5) relationship to participant.

Conclusions

This study highlights cancer survivors’ and caregivers’ perceptions of characteristics needed for peer support providers that in turn can influence whether and how they participate in cancer support programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Siegel R, Ma J, Zou Z, Jemal A (2014) Cancer statistics, 2014. Cancer J Clin 64:9–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bigsby JA, Holmes MD (2005) Disparities across the breast cancer continuum. Cancer Causes Control 16(1):35–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. National Cancer Institute (2014). SEER cancer statistics review, 1975–2012. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2012/. Accessed 12 July 2015.

  4. Tammemagi CM, Nerenz D, Neslund-Dudas C, Feldkamp C, Nathanson D (2005) Comorbidity and survival disparities among black and white patients with breast cancer. J Am Med Assoc 294:1765–1772

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Peek ME, Han JH (2004) Disparities in screening mammography: current status, interventions, and implications. J Gen Intern Med 19:184–194

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Press R, Carrasquillo O, Sciacca RR, Giardina EG (2008) Racial/ethnic disparities in time to follow-up after an abnormal mammogram. J Women's Health 17:923–930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Davis C, Darby K, Likes W, Bell J (2009) Social workers as patient navigators for breast cancer survivors: what do African-American medically underserved women think of this idea? Soc Work Healthcare 48:561–578

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dirksen SR (2000) Predicting well-being among breast cancer survivors. J Advanced Nursing 32:937–943

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Giese-Davis J, Collie K, Rancourt KM, Neri E, Kraemer HC, Spiegel D (2011) Decrease in depression symptoms is associated with longer survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer: a secondary analysis. J Clin Oncol 29:413–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Wenzel L, Osann K, Hsieeh S, Tucker JA, Monk BJ, Nelson EL (2015) Psychosocial telephone counseling for survivors of cervical cancer: results of a randomized biobehavioral trial. J Clin Oncol 33:1171–1179

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Janz NK, Mujahid MS, Hawley ST, Griggs JJ, Alderman A, Hamilton AS, Graff J, Katz SJ (2009) Racial/ethnic differences in quality of life after diagnosis of breast cancer. J Cancer Survivor 3:212–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wells AA, Gulbas L, Sanders-Thompson V, Shon E, Kreuter MW (2014) African-American breast cancer survivors participating in a breast cancer support group: translating research into practice. J Can Educ 29:619–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fisher EB, Earp JA, Maman S, Zolotor A (2010) Cross-cultural and international adaptation of peer support for diabetes management. Fam Pract 27(Suppl 1):i6–16

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fisher EB, Coufal MM, Parada H, Robinette JB, Tang PY, Urlaub DM (2014) Peer support in health care and prevention: cultural, organizational, and dissemination issues. Annu Rev Public Health 35:363–368

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Haynes-Maslow L, Allicock M, Johnson L (2016) Cancer support needs for African American breast cancer survivors and caregivers. J Cancer Educ 31:166–171

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Allicock M, Kaye L, Johnson LS, Carr C, Alick C, Gellin M, Campbell M (2012) The use of motivational interviewing to promote peer-to-peer support for cancer survivors. Clin J Oncol Nurs 16:E156–E163

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Allicock M, Carr C, Johnson LS, Smith R, Lawrence M, Kaye L, Gellin M, Manning M (2014) Implementing a one-on-one peer support program for cancer survivors using a motivational interviewing approach: results and lessons learned. J Cancer Educ 29:91–98

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Miller WR, Rollnick S (2012) Motivational interviewing: helping people change. The Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  19. Bloor M, Frankland J, Thomas M, Robson K (2001) Focus groups in social research. Sage, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Warr DJ (2005) “It was fun...but we don’t usually talk about these things”: analyzing sociable interaction focus groups. Qual Inq 11:200–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Guest G, MacQueen KM, Namey EE (2012) Applied thematic analysis. Sage Publications, Los Angeles

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Wilbraham L (1995) Thematic content analysis: panacea for the ills of ‘intentioned opacity of discourse analysis? In: 1st annual qualitative methods conference: “a spanner in the works of the factory of truth”. University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Critical Methods Society.

  23. Strauss ACJ (1998) Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rearick EM, Sullivan-Bolyai S, Bova C, Knafl KA (2011) Parents of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes: experiences with social support and family management. Diabetes Educ 37:508–518

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Fisher EB, Boothroyd RI, Coufal MM, Baumann LC, Mbanya JC et al (2012) Peer support for self management of diabetes improved outcomes in international settings. Health Aff 31:130–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Skea ZC, MacLennan SJ, Entwistle VA, N’Dow J (2011) Enabling mutual helping? Examining variable needs for facilitated peer support. Patient Educ Couns 85:e120–e125

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Hanson LC, Armstrong TD, Green MA, Hayes M, Peacock S et al (2012) Circles of care: development and initial evaluation of a peer support model for African Americans with advanced cancer. Health Educ Behav 40:536–543

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Napoles-Springer AM, Ortız C, O’Brien H, Dıaz-Mendez M (2009) Developing a culturally competent peer support intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas with breast cancer. J Immigr Minor Health 11:268–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Campbell H, Phaneuf M, Deane K (2004) Cancer peer support programs—do they work? Patient Educ Couns 55:3–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Arora NK, Finney Ruten LJ, Gustafson DH, Moser R, Hawkins RP (2007) Perceived helpfulness and impact of social support provided by family, friends, and health care providers to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Psychooncology 16:474–486

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the focus group participants for their time. Marlyn Allicock and La-Shell Johnson’s time was supported by the National Cancer Institute Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, Community Network Program Centers (CNPC), and the Carolina Community Network (Grant No. 3U54153602-04S1).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lindsey Haynes-Maslow.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Haynes-Maslow, L., Allicock, M. & Johnson, LS. Peer support preferences among African-American breast cancer survivors and caregivers. Support Care Cancer 25, 1511–1517 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3550-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3550-2

Keywords

Navigation