Religious beliefs and XXXX screening.

@entity1 @entity5 @entity0
BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying a reported tendency for @entity1 who hold strong religious beliefs to seek medical help at more advanced stages of @entity0 are unknown. This study investigates further the effect of religious beliefs with other variables on @entity0 screening and the intended presentation of a self-discovered breast lump. METHODS: The study included 682 eastern North Carolina @entity1 aged 40 and over who were interviewed in their homes about religious and other beliefs about @entity0 , screening, and intended actions with a self-discovered breast lump. RESULTS: Principal components factor analysis results suggested that a majority of @entity1 believe that God works through doctors to cure @entity0 . We labeled this dimension "religious intervention with treatment." A minority believed that medical treatment was unnecessary because only God could cure @entity0 . We labeled this dimension "religious intervention in place of treatment." The first dimension correlated with self-reported mammography but not clinical breast examination or @entity1 's intention to delay presentation of a self-discovered breast lump. The second dimension, significantly more common in African American @entity1 who were less educated and older, correlated strongly with the intention to delay presentation of a self-discovered breast lump. CONCLUSIONS: Belief in "religious intervention in place of treatment" may help to explain why African American @entity1 delay presentation of palpable breast lumps, contributing to advanced-stage @entity5 diagnosis. We suggest that clinicians and clergy work together within the context of religious beliefs to enhance early detection and survival from @entity0 .
