Predisposing cultural factors among American Indian populations related to cancer occurrence

Abstract

Cancer during the twentieth century has become a major universal health concern. The American Indian population, too, has experienced both a dramatic rise in cancer rates and different patterns of cancer among tribal groups. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss various factors including culture that impact cancer in American Indian populations. A literature review that provides cancer data, including rates, risk factors, and American Indian responses to cancer is presented in the opening chapters. In addition, results of a qualitative exploratory research involving a sample from the Pasqua Yaqui Tribe of Southern Arizona and a non-Indian sample from the Community Hospice Program of Tucson are presented. Data from both groups are analyzed, compared, and summarized.