Psychosocial responses associated with perceived risk of cancer in an African-American community

Our plain-English summary of Psychosocial responses associated with perceived risk of cancer in an African-American community, by G.B. Gerbi, T. Habtemariam, B. Tameru, et al (Psychological Reports, 2011).

The study

• Authors: G.B. Gerbi, T. Habtemariam, B. Tameru, D. Nganwa, V. Robnet
• Journal: Psychological Reports
• Published: 2011;109(1):93-8
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

This epidemiologic health survey study examined the association between health risk perceptions and psychosocial factors in 145 African Americans in East Montgomery, Alabama. The survey gathered information on demographics, population dynamics, health risk perceptions, and coping behaviors. Psychosocial variables measured were worries, concern, stress, and trauma associated with perceived risk of cancer. Results indicated that women were more concerned about the environmental health risks in their community than men. Compared to men, women were highly concerned about the economic effect of perceived environmental health risk. The findings indicate that an individual's health status and educational level were significant predictors of psychosocial responses.

In plain English

This survey looked at how residents of a small African-American community in East Montgomery, Alabama, felt about a cancer risk they believed they faced. Residents suspected that asbestos released into their water from breaks in asbestos cement pipes might be causing what they saw as a high cancer rate. The study did not measure asbestos or cancer rates. It asked 145 adults (80 women, 65 men) about worry, concern, stress and trauma. Sex, education and income were statistically significantly associated with reporting problems with home water. More women than men reported being concerned (43% vs 27%), traumatized (46% vs 29%) and worried (51% vs 35%). Respondents with more education and higher income were more likely to report these psychosocial problems. Respondents who reported having cancer themselves were significantly more likely to report stress, water problems and a link between their water and cancer. The authors concluded that many residents perceive increased risk and cancer rates, with related psychosocial problems.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Cross-sectional epidemiologic health survey (questionnaire), analyzed with chi-squared tests
• Who was studied: 145 African-American adults (80 women, 65 men) in East Montgomery, Alabama. The community had 87 households and an estimated 250 people. Participants were aged 18 or older and had lived there at least one year. The response rate was 74%, and the whole eligible population was targeted.
• Exposure: No exposure was measured. The study examined perceived risk: residents' suspicion that asbestos released into drinking water from breaks in asbestos cement water piping causes an elevated cancer rate. Residents were also concerned about past pesticide crop dusting and dumping of airplane oil. The two risk-perception questions asked about problems with home water and a perceived link between water and cancer.
• Main results:
  • Sex, education level and income level were statistically significantly associated with perceived problems with water coming to respondents' homes.
  • Women were more likely than men to report psychosocial responses to perceived environmental problems: concerned 43% vs 27%, traumatized 46% vs 29%, worried 51% vs 35%.
  • Respondents with more education and higher income were more likely to report psychosocial problems. For example, 66% of those with 4-year college or graduate education reported concern, vs 30% of those with high school or 1 to 3 years of college. Concern was also reported by 56% of those with income of $50,000 or more vs 32% of those with less than $50,000.
  • Reporting cancer in oneself was significantly associated with stress, with perceiving a problem with water, and with perceiving a link between water and cancer.
  • Stress was also associated with perceiving environmental problems in the community and perceiving high cancer-related illness and death in the community.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that risk perceptions and related psychosocial responses differed by sex, education and income, as they had hypothesized. They also concluded that many residents perceive increased risk and cancer rates, with related psychosocial problems. They suggested that the belief that asbestos in water piping causes cancer may come from informal sources such as family and peers.

Related studies

• Development and validation of a lung cancer risk prediction model for African-Americans — C.J. Etzel, S. Kachroo, et al. (2008)
• Lung cancer, tobacco, and environmental factors in the African population of the Northern Province, South Africa — O. Mzileni, F. Sitas, et al. (1999)
• Polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase M1 and lung cancer risk among African-Americans and Caucasians in Los Angeles County, California — S.J. London, A.K. Daly, et al. (1995)
• Lung cancer risk in relation to the CYP2E1 Rsa I genetic polymorphism among African-Americans and Caucasians in Los Angeles County — S.J. London, A.K. Daly, et al. (1996)
• Cancer incidence and asbestos in drinking water, Town of Woodstock, New York, 1980-1998 — M.L. Browne, D. Varadarajulu, et al. (2005)
• Lung cancer risk and workplace exposures in black men and women — J.E. Muscat, S.D. Stellman, et al. (1998)

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