Evidence Based Breast Cancer Interventions Targeting Black American Women

Abstract

In the United States, Black American women tend to have more invasive types of breast cancer at a younger age than White American women, and also tend to have a higher mortality rates than White, Latina, and Asian-American women (DeSantis, 2013). In order to address these issues, public health research has focused on developing early detection programs and increasing mammography availability. Despite these efforts, there has been a continuous rise in the incidence rates among Black American women throughout the United States, suggesting that there have been complications with program execution. This research project examines the evidence based interventions that have been proven to be effective within minority and Black American communities. Research has proven that there are some health interventions that are particularly effective for disadvantaged minorities. Examples include lay education, social network outreach, and culturally appropriate intervention delivery. Research has so far included reviews of current literature and interviews with public health workers who specialize in minority health interventions. Future community health research will explore the possibility of large scale replication in both urban and rural communities, which could lead to an overall decrease in breast cancer incidences population wide.