Abstract P6-08-13: Impact of Nueva Vida’s model on quality of life, distress levels and self-efficacy in Latinas with breast cancer
Authors: Darling M , Caicedo L , BrintzenhofeSzoc K , Zabora J , Campos C , Blinka M , Gonzalez F 
Published: August 2014

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among Latinas and Hispanic women diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher mortality rate than their white non-Hispanic counterparts (American Cancer Society, 2009). Moreover, Latina survivors appear to have greater distress related to their diagnosis and treatment than non-Latina White women, in large part due to their lower access to care, financial and linguistic barriers, and cultural issues. These concerns have a significant influence on women quality of life (Rowland & Massie, 1998) yet research indicates their impact may be buffered by the presence of mental health and social support services. Research conducted with predominantly non-Latina survivors suggests that social support positively influences women's adjustment to breast cancer by reducing the intensity of their psychological distress, enhancing their optimism and quality of life and encouraging treatment adherence. (e.g. Helgeson & Cohen). There is, however, an acknowledged gap in the availability of adequate support interventions for minority groups (Buki, LP, et al, 2008).

Purpose: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among Latina women in the US and Latinas have a higher mortality rate than their white non-Hispanic counterparts (American Cancer Society, 2009). Based on this data and the lived experiences of Latina's with breast cancer, Nueva Vida (NV) was founded in 1996 in efforts to address the lack of culturally sensitive cancer support services for Latinas in the Washington, DC area. NV's comprehensive cancer care service model includes patient navigation, various types of support groups, individual counseling, peer support, and education. This community based organization-academic partnership project evaluated the impact of NVs service model on participants’ levels of self-efficacy, psychological distress, and quality of life.

Methods: A time-series design with data collection on the day of initial contact with NV, within 3-10 days of initial contact, as well as 4 and 12 months after the initial contact with NV. Sample includes approximately 90 Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer. Instruments used in this study include: Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI) version 2 measuring self-efficacy (Merluzzi et al., 2001); the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) measuring psychological distress (Zabora et al., 2001); and the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale- Breast Cancer (SLDS-BC) measuring quality of life (Spagnola et al., 2003).

Results: Data collection took place between March 2008 and December 2010. Participants seen at NV improved in three of the four categories measured by the BSI-18. The median quality of life scores improved over time. However, the self-efficacy median remained consistent over the year.

Conclusions: The negative impact of a cancer diagnosis can be offset by the presence of social support, particularly for Latinas. Similarly, Latinas quality of life can improve with social support. However more studies are needed to understand what types of support services contribute to improvements in quality of life. Further study of self-efficacy based on type and number of interventions is needed.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P6-08-13.