"No Complaining, No Crying": A Qualitative Study of the Strong Black Woman Schema in the Breast Cancer Context.

BACKGROUND: Black women have the highest mortality from breast cancer compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Black women with breast cancer also evidence compromised quality of life in some domains. Culturally relevant aspects of their experience are understudied. PURPOSE: The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the relevance of the Strong Black Woman schema in the cancer context. METHODS: Three Gatherings (i.e., culturally curated focus groups) were conducted with Black women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and recruited from cancer-related listservs and events. A five-person team conducted reflexive thematic analysis of Gathering transcripts. RESULTS: The 37 participants ranged in age (30 to 94 years) and in diagnosis duration (2 months to 29 years). Reflexive thematic analysis yielded six themes that characterized the women's experience: historical legacy of the Strong Black Woman, navigating intersecting Strong Black Woman identities, everyday challenges encountered on the battlefield by Strong Black Women, Strong Black Woman in action during the breast cancer journey, the complexities of seeking and accepting support, and the liberated Strong Black Woman. The schema's negative consequences included the oncologic team and others expecting the participants to be strong and not to need support. Expectations to suppress emotions and continue caring for others to the neglect of the self also were evident. Positive consequences included engaging in self-advocacy in the oncologic context and redefining strength to include expressing emotions and accepting help. CONCLUSIONS: The Strong Black Woman schema is highly relevant in the breast cancer context and could be addressed in culturally centered interventions.

Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, Black American women diagnosed with breast cancer have the highest death rate and some aspects of their quality of life is lower. The authors developed Project SOAR (Speaking Our African American Realities) to shed light on the experiences of Black American women diagnosed with breast cancer. In one Project SOAR study, 37 women took part in Gatherings­small group meetings conducted in an all-Black, all-woman space­in which they talked about the relevance of the Strong Black Woman (or Black Superwoman) concept during breast cancer. Arising from a history of enslavement, the concept involves suppressing emotions, always acting strong, taking care of others while neglecting care of oneself, and declining others' support. Gathering participants ranged in age (30 to 94 years) and time elapsed since diagnosis (2 months to 29 years). Their breast cancer experiences often corresponded with the Strong Black Woman concept. For example, some medical professionals and others expected them to act strong, to keep caring for others, not to need support, and not to voice their emotions during the cancer experience. Some women redefined strength to include expressing emotions and accepting help. The authors are developing resources for Black American women breast cancer survivors.

"I'm Fighting for My Life": Exploring Interactions Between Black Women with Breast Cancer and Healthcare Providers.

Black Americans face a multitude of problems in the healthcare system, including challenges during interactions with healthcare providers. The present study examined the quality of healthcare provider-Black patient interactions in a sample of Black American women with a breast cancer diagnosis. More specifically, the study examined potential contributors to Black Americans' current healthcare experiences and lack of trust by identifying their specific negative and positive encounters in the healthcare system. Three in-person Gatherings (i.e., culturally curated focus groups; N = 37) were conducted as part of a community-academic research partnership, Project SOAR (Speaking Our African American Realities). Four themes were identified through reflexive thematic analysis: Individual and Systemic Injustice Directed at Black Breast Cancer Survivors; Protecting Myself from an Untrustworthy Medical System; Stereotypes Interfered with My Care; and Good Care Should Include Compassion, Respect, Shared Decision Making, and Tailored Support. The present findings highlight the importance of addressing systemic and individual injustice toward Black Americans in healthcare settings generally, and Black women diagnosed with breast cancer specifically.

Socioeconomic Status and Inflammation in Women with Early-stage Breast Cancer: Mediation by Body Mass Index.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the US, and women of low socioeconomic status (SES) show markedly poorer outcomes than those of high SES. SES may influence health through inflammation, although links between SES and inflammatory biomarkers have not been investigated in women with breast cancer. This study tested the hypothesis that breast cancer patients of lower SES would show higher levels of inflammation than those of higher SES. BMI was examined as a mediator of this association. METHODS: Women recently diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (N = 194) were recruited before neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. Participants completed questionnaires and provided blood samples for immune assessment. SES was indexed by participants' self-reported education and annual household income, BMI was determined by height and weight measurements, and blood was assayed for inflammatory biomarkers linked with cancer outcomes: IL-6, CRP, TNF-α, and sTNF-RII. General linear models tested associations between SES and inflammation, and mediation models examined indirect effects through BMI. RESULTS: Consistent with hypotheses, education status was associated with CRP, (F(2,185) = 4.72, p = 0.001), and sTNF-RII, (F(2,185) = 4.19, p = 0.02), such that lower education was associated with higher levels of both biomarkers. Further, BMI mediated the associations between education and CRP, (95% CIs [-0.62, -0.11; -0.76, -0.21]), sTNF-RII, (95% CIs [-0.09, -0.01; -0.10, -0.02]), and IL-6, (95% CIs [-0.32, -0.05; -0.38, -0.09]). Annual household income was not significantly associated with inflammation (ps > 0.25), and indirect effects on inflammation through BMI were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Lower education was associated with higher levels of inflammation in this sample, which may presage poor breast cancer-related and clinical outcomes. SES should inform the development of interventions targeting BMI and inflammation in breast cancer.

Fast food, beverage, and snack brands on social media in the United States: An examination of marketing techniques utilized in 2000 brand posts.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to food advertisements is associated with poor diet among youth, and food and beverage companies are increasingly advertising on social media sites that are popular among youth. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of social media advertising among fast food, beverage, and snack companies and examine advertising techniques they use on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Vine. METHODS: We quantified the increase in the creation of social media accounts from 2007 to 2016 among 200 fast food, beverage, and snack brands from the United States. We conducted content analyses to examine the marketing themes and healthfulness of products featured in 2000 posts from a subset of 20 brands and used multilevel regression to assess associations between marketing themes (eg, adolescents socializing) and interactive tools (eg, hashtags). RESULTS: Two hundred brands collectively managed 568 accounts in 2016. Content analyses revealed that unique social media features (eg, geo-tags) appeared in 74.5% (n = 1489) of posts, and 31.5% (n = 630) were interactive. Posts featuring adolescents were more likely to be interactive than posts featuring adults (P < 0.001). Two-thirds (67.9%; n = 362) of foods shown were unhealthy, and 61.2% (n = 435) of beverages were sugar sweetened. CONCLUSIONS: Social media food advertising is pervasive and uses interactive tools to engage with users.

Content analysis of targeted food and beverage advertisements in a Chinese-American neighbourhood.

OBJECTIVES: The current descriptive study aimed to: (i) quantify the number and type of advertisements (ads) located in a Chinese-American neighbourhood in a large, urban city; and (ii) catalogue the targeted marketing themes used in the food/beverage ads. DESIGN: Ten pairs of trained research assistants photographed all outdoor ads in a 0·6 mile2 (1·6 km2) area where more than 60·0 % of residents identify as Chinese American. We used content analysis to assess the marketing themes of ads, including references to: Asian cultures; health; various languages; children; food or beverage type (e.g. sugar-sweetened soda). SETTING: Lower East Side, a neighbourhood located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA. SUBJECTS: Ads (n 1366) in the designated neighbourhood. RESULTS: Food/beverage ads were the largest ad category (29·7 %, n 407), followed by services (e.g. mobile phone services; 21·0 %, n 288). Sixty-seven per cent (66·9 %) of beverages featured were sugar-sweetened, and 50·8 % of food ads promoted fast food. Fifty-five per cent (54·9 %) of food/beverage ads targeted Asian Americans through language, ethnicity of person(s) in the ad or inclusion of culturally relevant images. Fifty per cent (50·2 %) of ads were associated with local/small brands. CONCLUSIONS: Food/beverage marketing practices are known to promote unhealthy food and beverage products. Research shows that increased exposure leads to excessive short-term consumption among consumers and influences children's food preferences and purchase requests. Given the frequency of racially targeted ads for unhealthy products in the current study and increasing rates of obesity-related diseases among Asian Americans, research and policies should address the implications of food and beverage ads on health.