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Perceptions of control, physical exercise, and psychological adjustment to breast cancer in South African women

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Psychological adjustment and locus of control were measured in 257 South African women both with and without breast cancer. Adjustment was defined as positive affect, negative affect, the balance between the two, satisfaction with various domains of life, and an overall sense of well-being. Health locus of control was measured separately for internal, external, and chance loci. The instrument’s reliability was comparable to that reported for U.S. norms. The women with breast cancer reported significantly lower affect and had lower internal and higher external and chance perceptions of control. The more invasive the surgical treatment, the greater the negative impact on adjustment. Data suggested that using written instructions to stress the importance of exercise to rebuild arm strength immediately following the surgery had a long-lasting positive impact on affect. Side of intervention was also related to psychological adjustment. Significant differences across racial groups were found for both adjustment and health locus of control.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsyvania State University, Harrisburg

    Barbara A. Bremer & Dawn R. Hess

  2. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Sciences, Philadelphia, USA

    Cathleen T. Moore & Barbara M. Bourbon

  3. Millersville University, Millersville, USA

    Kristin L. Bremer

Authors
  1. Barbara A. Bremer
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  2. Cathleen T. Moore
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  3. Barbara M. Bourbon
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  4. Dawn R. Hess
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  5. Kristin L. Bremer
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Additional information

Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a grant from Hahnemann University’s Cancer Research Support Program.

The authors thank William Henk for comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript and Dan Moore II for his advice on the statistical analysis.

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Bremer, B.A., Moore, C.T., Bourbon, B.M. et al. Perceptions of control, physical exercise, and psychological adjustment to breast cancer in South African women. ann. behav. med. 19, 51–60 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02883427

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