Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

Orchid George

Keywords

Latinas, breast cancer survivors, Health-Belief Model

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

The purpose of the hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore and understand lived experiences of Latina breast cancer survivors through semi-structured interviews on the Zoom Video Conferencing platform. The theory that guided the study was the Health Belief Model (HBM), a health behavior framework that explored Latina breast cancer survivors' behaviors concerning health (Rosenstock et al., 1988). Furthermore, Fleming et al.’s (2003) five steps of gathering qualitative data and Ajjai and Higgs’s (2007) six stages of data analysis were utilized to acquire the information to explore the phenomenon of Latina breast cancer survivors’ lived experiences. The sample population included nine Latina breast cancer survivors between the ages of 40 and 60 who had undergone chemotherapy radiation or were only diagnosed with breast cancer. Furthermore, the sample population was selected using the snowball sampling method. Four data collection methods were implemented to explore lived experiences of Latina breast cancer survivors: individual interview sessions, one focus group session that was conducted through the Zoom Video Conferencing platform, one questionnaire, and one open-ended question survey. The data was further analyzed through a transcribing and audio platform called MAXQDA, which generated a transcription of the recorded videos utilized for further analysis. The results highlighted that Latina breast cancer survivors perceived a greater susceptibility to breast cancer recurrence. Furthermore, cultural factors, such as family, played an integral role in the post-treatment process. Additionally, the Latina breast cancer survivors faced no barriers to accessing post-treatment healthcare and support services.

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