Brief report: Etiological attributions for breast cancer among healthy African American and European American women

Anecdotal evidence suggests that African American women's attributions about breast cancer may differ from European American women, but empirical studies are lacking. The present study examined attributions about breast cancer made by a sample of healthy African American and European American women. The sample included 197 women (75 African American, 122 European American), with a mean age of 39.2. Overall, women were most likely to attribute the development of breast cancer to genetics, 'no one', environmental poisons, diet, personal behavior and stress. European American women were more likely to attribute breast cancer to broadly external causes such as the environment, heredity and chance, while African American women were more likely to list immediate, interpersonal-level causes such as a blow to the breast, and personal behavior. Results highlight the need for attention to cultural processes in cancer prevention and control.