Effects of cognitive style and maintenance strategies on breast self-examination (BSE) practice by African American women

A convenience sample of 159 African American women, 18–45 years old, was trained to perform breast self-examination (BSE) and was categorized according to the participants' cognitive style (monitors/blunters). Participants were then randomly assigned to one of four groups differing in BSE maintenance strategy (self-management, positive reinforcement, both, or neither). Self-reported monthly compliance with BSE was subsequently assessed during a 9-month period. A significant interaction between maintenance strategies and cognitive style was found. For blunters, the highest compliance rates and the highest competency scores occurred in the group with no maintenance strategy, whereas for monitors, the highest compliance rates and competency scores were found in the groups receiving positive reinforcement and/or self-management strategies. Additional results indicate that high levels of BSE competency were achieved across conditions and that competency improved over time.This paper was supported in part by National Cancer Institute Grant 5 RO3CA48388-02 and in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant PHS RR-05665-22 (Penn), University of California, San Diego.