Exploring the Perception of Hospital-Based Social Support Among African American Women with Breast Cancer

Background: African American women have a two-fold higher risk for cancer-specific mortality, are more often diagnosed at advanced stages of cancer, and have a lower five-year survival rate than other racial/ethnic groups. Prior investigations identified outcome disparities are strongly influenced by African American women’s social and cultural environment. Perceived strong social support lowers mortality rates, promotes healthy behaviors which improve quality of life and survival outcomes. However, little is known if social support groups initiated by hospitals are perceived differently by African American women diagnosed with breast cancer than other ethnicities.

Purpose: To explore perceptions of hospital-based social support groups from African American women with breast cancer.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design including criterion sampling, open-ended semi-structured interviews of 23 participants, and qualitative content analysis guided this exploration.

Results: Themes identified by participants regarding social support include (a) naturally occurring social networks, (b) type of support from naturally occurring networks, (c) hospital- based support groups perceived as negative, and (d) lack optimism, and community-based support groups are grounded in spirituality and humor.

Conclusion: For these survivors, hospital-based support groups that emphasized grief, pain, and discontent around the cancer experience. On the other hand, African American community-based support groups emphasized a faith in God, finding purpose in the experience, and humor.

Implications: Tailoring support groups for specific population’s takes a holistic approach, with a consideration for the social and cultural environment. Healthcare providers should consider culture, including spiritually influenced beliefs perceived as supportive in establishing hospital-based support groups.

Melissa Poole-Dubin
BSN, RN, CEN
Clinical Nurse, DNP Candidate '21
Emory University

Biography

Melissa A. Poole-Dubin, BSN, RN, CEN is completing her DNP degree at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University with a focus in Emergency and Family Nurse Practitioner, Population Health track in December 2021. She earned a B.S. in Health from Sam Houston State University in 2005, and her BSN from the Cizik School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health- Houston in 2011, while participating in the University of Houston Detachment 003 ROTC program. She gained her commission in the United States Air Force where she served for almost 8 years as a labor & delivery, medical-surgical, pre/post anesthesia, and emergency/trauma nurse before deciding to return to school for her nurse practitioner and DNP.

Melissa continues to serve as a Major in the Georgia Air National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiologic Disaster Response Team. Her passions are in trauma, maternal-child medicine, public health infectious disease and Social Determinants of Health. She also hopes to pursue a career in academics. Melissa’s DNP project has allowed her to dive into Social Determinants of Health which has influenced her path and expanded her skillsets and understanding to succeed as a DNP prepared clinician. This is her first presentation and project which she hopes to publish after graduation. She is loved and supported by her husband, Harris, and young son, Arik, who are the foundation who make all these goals become a reality.

Phone: 605-415-5834
Email: melissa.poole@emory.edu

Co-Author(s):
Phyllis P. Wright, DNP, MPH
Jill B. Hamilton, Ph.D., RN, FAAN