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Fatalism or Destiny? A Qualitative Study and Interpretative Framework on Dominican Women’s Breast Cancer Beliefs

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Abstract

Background A growing literature on Latino’s beliefs about cancer focuses on the concept of fatalismo (fatalism), despite numerous conceptual ambiguities concerning its meaning, definition, and measurement. This study explored Latina women’s views on breast cancer and screening within a cultural framework of destino (“destiny”), or the notion that both personal agency and external forces can influence health and life events. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 Latinas from the Dominican Republic aged 40 or over. Results Respondents reported complex notions of health locus of control that encompassed both internal (e.g., individual action) and external (e.g., the will of God) forces shaping breast cancer prevention efforts. Furthermore, women actively participated in screening because they believed that cancer could become a death sentence if diagnosed late or left untreated. Discussion In contrast to simplistic notions of “fatalism”, our analysis suggests complex strategies and beliefs regarding breast cancer and cancer screening that speak of resiliency rather than hopelessness.

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Notes

  1. All respondent names are pseudonyms.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant to the last author from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Support for preparing the manuscript was also provided by the Initiative for Minority Student Development (IMSD) at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, an education project funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R25GM62454); by the National Cancer Institute (R03CA107876); and by the Columbia Center for the Health of Urban Minorities, an EXPORT center funded by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (P60MD00206).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168 Street, 5th floor, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Karen R. Flórez, Alejandra N. Aguirre, Ana Alicia De La Cruz & Ana F. Abraído-Lanza

  2. Urban Public Health Program, School of Health Sciences, Hunter College, 425 East 25th Street, Room W 1021, New York, NY, 10010-2590, USA

    Anahí Viladrich

  3. Steinhardt School of Education, New York University, 35 West 4th Street, 10th floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA

    Amarilis Céspedes

Authors
  1. Karen R. Flórez
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  2. Alejandra N. Aguirre
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  3. Anahí Viladrich
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  4. Amarilis Céspedes
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  5. Ana Alicia De La Cruz
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  6. Ana F. Abraído-Lanza
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Correspondence to Ana F. Abraído-Lanza.

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Flórez, K.R., Aguirre, A.N., Viladrich, A. et al. Fatalism or Destiny? A Qualitative Study and Interpretative Framework on Dominican Women’s Breast Cancer Beliefs. J Immigrant Minority Health 11, 291–301 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-008-9118-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-008-9118-6

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