References

A Support Group Alternative for Rural and Isolated Women
Found that women randomized to receive the One in Eight workbook-journal reported greater reductions in depression symptoms at a six-month follow-up assessment than women who received usual care. Finding alternatives to face-to-face support groups is important for geographically-isolated individuals. This research and intervention have widespread applicability to women isolated by other situations or conditions, or who do not choose to attend face-toface support groups.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Lesbian and Heterosexual Women
Lesbians may have a higher risk for developing breast cancer than heterosexual women, based on this sample, but not the previously-reported two or three times higher risk. Accurate risk assessment of communities with common characteristics adds valuable information for outreach efforts both within and outside the community of interest. Knowing that lesbians have a possibly higher risk of breast cancer allows service providers, public policy makers, and funders to focus efforts on this population.

Breast Health Project for Hmong Women and Men
Breast cancer is the leading cancer death in Asian American and Pacific Islander women, yet these communities have the lowest screening rates, in aggregate, of all U.S. ethnic populations. A breast health education program was implemented to increase mammography rates among Hmong women, who are at greater risk for health problems due to language and cultural barriers, low education, and poverty. The number of women who had heard of mammograms and obtained them during the study period nearly doubled after the intervention. The intervention program had a significant effect on whether or not a woman went in for screening.

Do Community Cancer Support Groups Reduce Physiologic Stress?
Found that women participating in community support groups saw changes in depression symptoms, trauma symptoms, social support, self-efficacy, and post-traumatic-growth, at about the same level over four months of group therapy as women in university setting groups. This study suggests that community groups are as effective at serving women with primary breast cancer as groups set in academic and clinical institutions.

Increasing Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities
Results show that regardless of how disability is defined (Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Functional Limitations, or having a mobility problem), the odds of a disabled woman being up-to-date with her mammograms decrease with her number of physical limitations. Project findings will reduce the human and economic impact of breast cancer for women with disabilities by filling an information void and by informing further research, policy initiatives, and the development of breast screening and education programs for women with disabilities.

Marin County Breast Cancer Study of Adolescent Risk Factors
Found that women who drank at least two alcoholic drinks per day were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as women who drank less, despite similar distributions of several known breast cancer risk factors in a county with a high rate of the disease. This suggests that even in this high-risk population, risk may be modifiable. By increasing knowledge of breast cancer etiology, studies may enhance possibilities for breast cancer prevention. Collaborative studies conducted in communities with high rates of breast cancer can also provide insight into the causes of the disease.

Samoans and Breast Cancer: Evaluation of a Theory-based Program
This study found that Samoan American women were more likely to have ever had a mammogram if they had: positive group norms for obtaining a mammogram, health insurance, positive belief in the efficacy of mammography, fewer misconceptions regarding the causes of breast cancer, fewer culturespecific beliefs regarding the causes of breast cancer, and higher self-efficacy. The project could enhance breast cancer awareness, increase screening and early detection rates, and over time, could potentially lower morbidity and mortality from the disease in this underserved community.

Articles
1. Angell K., Kreshka M.A., McCoy R., Donnelly P., Turner-Cobb J., Graddy K., Kraemer H.C., and Koopman C. (2003). Psychosocial Intervention for Rural Women with Breast Cancer: The Sierra Stanford Partnership, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18(7), 499-507

2. Benz C.C., Clarke C.A., and Moore D.H. (2003). Geographic Excess of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 12, 1523-1527

3. Collie K., Wong P., Tilston J., Butler D., Turner-Cobb J., Kreshka M.A., Parsons R., Graddy K., Cheasty J.D., and Koopman C. (2005). Self-Efficacy, Coping and Difficulties Interacting with Health Care Professionals Among Women Living with Breast Cancer in Rural Communities, Psycho Oncology, 14, 901-912

4. Cordova M.J., Giese-Davis J., Golant M., Kronenwetter C., Chang V., McFarlin S., Spiegel D. (2003). Mood Disturbance in Community Cancer Support Groups: The Role of Emotional Suppression and Fighting Spirit, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 461–467

5. Dibble S.L., Roberts S.A., Davids H.R., Paul S.M. and Scanlon J.L .(Oct. 6, 1999). A Comparison of Breast Cancer Risk Factor Distributions between Lesbian and Bisexual Women. MS JAMA Online 282(13)

6. Dibble S., Roberts S.A., Robertson P.A., Paul S.M. (2002). Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer: Lesbian and Heterosexual Women. Oncology Nursing Forum Online Journal, 29(1)

7. Dibble S., Roberts S.A., Nussey B. (2004). Comparing Breast Cancer Risk Between Lesbians and Their Heterosexual Sisters. Women’s Health Issues 14, 60-68

8. Hwang E.S., Shiboski C.T., Farren G., Benz C.C., and Wrensch M. (2005). Risk Factors for Estrogen Receptor- Positive Breast Cancer. Archives of Surgery, 140(1), 58-62

9. Kagawa-Singer M., Foo M.A., Tanjasiri S.P. et al (Spring 2001). Breast Cancer Screening: Hmong Women in California. Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, Los Angeles Journal of Cancer Education 6 (1):50-4

10. Koopman C., Angell K., Turner-Cobb J., Kreshka, M.A., Donnelly P., McCoy R., Turkseven A., Graddy K., Giese-Davis J., and Spiegel D. (2001). Distress, Coping, and Social Support Among Rural Women Recently Diagnosed with Primary Breast Cancer. The Breast Journal 7(1), 1-9

11. Mishra S.I., Bastani R., Huang D., Luce P.H., and Baquet C.R. (2007) Mammography Screening and Pacific Islanders: Role of Cultural and Psychosocial Factors. Journal of Cancer Education, accepted for publication.

12. Nguyen T.N., Kagawa-Singer M., Tanjasiri S., and Foo M. (2003). Vietnamese American Women’s Health: A Community Perspective. Amerasia Journal 29, 1183-198

13. Owen J.E., Giese-Davis J., Cordova M., Kronenwetter C., Golant M., and Spiegel D. (Aug 2006). Self-Report and Linguistic Indicators of Emotional Expression in Narratives as Predictors of Adjustment to Cancer. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29(4):335-45

14. Palesh O., Shaffer T., Larson J., Edsall S., Chen X.H., Koopman C., Turner-Cobb J., Kreshka M.A., Graddy K., and Parsons R. (2006). Emotional Self-Efficacy, Social Support, and Stressful Life Events in Relation to Mood Disturbance among Women Living With Breast Cancer in Rural Communities. The Breast Journal, 12(2), 123-129

15. Roberts S.A., Dibble S., Nussey B., Casey K. (2003). Cardiovascular Disease Risks in Lesbians. Women’s Health Issues 13, 167-174

16. Roberts S.A., Dibble S.L., Scanlon J.L., Paul S.M. and Davids H.R. (1998). Differences in Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: Lesbian and Heterosexual Women. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, 2(3), 93-101

17. Tanjasiri S.P., Kagawa-Singer M., Nguyen T.-Y., Foo M.A. (2004). Collaborative Research as an Essential Component for Addressing Cancer Disparities among Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Women. Ethnic Disparities 14(3) Suppl. S14-9

18. Wrensch M., Chew T. Farren G., Barlow J., Belli F., Clarke C., Erdmann C.A., Lee M., Moghadassi M., Peskin-Mentzer R., Quesenberry C.P. Jr., Souders- Mason V., Spence L., Suzuki M., and Gould M. (2003). Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in a Population with High Incidence Rates. Breast Cancer Research 5(4):R, 88-102

Abstracts
1. Koopman C., Kreshka M.A., Bodai B.I., Nakata T., Wolf H., Chen X.H., Angell K., Graddy K., McCoy R., and Collie K. (2006). A Randomized Study of Alternative Support for Rural and Isolated Women in an HMO: Effects On Depression, PTSD and Emotional Coping. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 31, Suppl. S134

1. Brochures (in English & Hmong) “Life is Precious” and “Lub Neej Yog Ib Yam Zoo Tshaj Plaws” developed by Mari Nakamura.

2. Video (in Hmong with English subtitles) “Lub Neej Yog Ib Yam Zoo Tshaj Plaws: Kev Kuaj Mis Khees Xaws (Life is Precious: Breast Cancer Screening for Hmong Women) developed by Rod Lew.

3. “One in Eight: Women Speaking to Women. A Breast Cancer Workbook Journal” developed by Mary Ann Kreshka and illustrated and designed by Kathy Graddy.

4. Memory Tools: Memory Board with Life Events Calendar, Visualization script with audio relaxation CD, and photo montage by Mary Gould, Georgie Farren, Flavia Belli, Roni Mentzer, Linda Spence and Margaret Wrench.

5. “Breast Health and Beyond for Women with Disabilities: A Provider’s Guide to the Examination and Screening of Women with Disabilities” edited by Florita Maiki, Nancy Freed, et al.