Native Hawaiian Women and the Experience of Breast Cancer

Abstract

This article describes a qualitative inquiry into the experiences of Native Hawaiian women living through and beyond a diagnosis of breast cancer. Native Hawaiian women have increased incidence and mortality breast cancer rates compared with other ethnic groups in Hawaii. Health promotion programs targeted at Native Hawaiians have often failed because of cultural inappropriateness. A lack of knowledge about the culture is frequently a part of this failure. Therefore, the specific purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of a selected group of Native Hawaiian breast cancer survivors, uncover the connections between their narratives and their personal and cultural milieux, and generate knowledge about the Native Hawaiian woman's breast cancer experience that would be useful in planning future health promotion outreach efforts. The study consisted of interview data collected from 11 Native Hawaiian female participants, ranging from 44 to 82 years of age. An interpretive phenomenological analysis of the data identified recurrent contexts and themes. The three major contexts in their stories were discovery, transformation (physical, emotional and spiritual), and life realignment. Themes included the importance of spiritual connection, an altruistic desire to reach out and assist others in a similar situation, and a context of familial silence about cancer history. These elements can assist in formulating health promotion and intervention activities for this population. Interwoven with these themes was the Native Hawaiian concept of pono--a sense of rightness and balance, and the crucial importance of the participants' Native Hawaiian identity and cultural heritage.

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