Socio-Cultural interpretations of breast cancer among female patients at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

Breast cancer is considered a global public health problem. Due to late presentation of breast cancer to hospital for diagnosis, many women especially in sub- Saharan Africa die out of the disease. The causes of this delay are numerous. The focus of this study was to explore the sociocultural interpretations breast cancer patients attribute to the disease, and how these interpretations informed their health seeking behaviours. Qualitative research design informed the orientation of the study. In-depth interviews were conducted to elicit information from twenty-five study participants. The study was underpinned by the Social Constructionism Theory. It was revealed that interpretations were linked with the disease and did not only determine the time patients reported to the hospital but also permeated their entire health seeking behaviours. Those who believed that the illness was a spiritual condition were much more inclined to seek spiritual help from deities and vice versa. The study recommended that clinicians should encourage breast cancer survivors to form groups, so that they can better explain and share their experiences with other women and debunk all misconceptions surrounding the illness