Effects of Social Injustice on Breast Health—Seeking Behaviors of Low-Income Women

Abstract

Purpose.

The study uses qualitative research to gain a better understanding of what occurs after low-income women receive an abnormal breast screening and the factors that influence their decisions and behavior. A heuristic model is presented for understanding this complexity.

Design.

Qualitative research methods used to elicited social and cultural themes related to breast cancer screening follow-up.

Setting.

Individual telephone interviews were conducted with 16 women with confirmed breast anomaly.

Participants.

Low-income women screened through a national breast cancer early detection program.

Method.

Grounded theory using selective coding was employed to elicit factors that influenced the understanding and follow-up of an abnormal breast screening result. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and uploaded into NVivo 8, a qualitative management and analysis software package.

Results.

For women (16, or 72% of case management referrals) below 250% of the poverty level, the impact of social and economic inequities creates a psychosocial context underlined by structural and cultural barriers to treatment that forecasts the mechanism that generates differences in health outcomes. The absence of insurance due to underemployment and unemployment and inadequate public infrastructure intensified emotional stress impacting participants' health decisions.

Conclusion.

The findings that emerged offer explanations of how consistent patterns of social injustice impact treatment decisions in a high-risk vulnerable population that have implications for health promotion research and systems-level program improvement and development.