Blog 1

(Pseudo names have been used to protect identity)

I interviewed three women with different ethnic backgrounds. The first woman I interviewed was Mary, a Caucasian woman in her mid 30’s. When I asked Mary what health issue most concerned her, she responded that it would be the development of breast cancer and obesity. She mentioned that she had had a family member diagnosed with breast cancer. She also mentioned that obesity was a major health issue because it could lead to other serious health complications such as diabetes and heart disease. The second woman I interviewed was a Black female in her late 40’s named Veronica. When I asked Veronica what health issue most concerned her, she responded that all cancers in general and the development of heart disease. She was in disbelief of the many cancers being diagnosed today that were not heard of as much 20 years ago. She was also concerned to develop heart disease because her grandfather had suffered from a heart attack at a young age. The third person I interviewed was a Hispanic woman in her late 40’s named Teresa. Her biggest health concern was also breast cancer because it had been diagnosed among two different women in her family. She is aware that breast cancer is hereditary therefore she checks herself regularly.

My biggest health concern would be heart disease because it is a preventable disease. I believe that devoting time to stay physically active and eating healthier foods, may lower cases of heart disease and other health issues like diabetes and prevalence of having a stroke. However, I am now even more concerned about breast cancer after interviewing these women. Quite honestly, I feel as though at times I do have the naïve mentality of “It can’t happen to me.” It was like a reality check because even though I was aware of the susceptibility for women to develop breast cancer, I did not feel so much at risk only because I do not know many women who have been diagnosed. It was shocking that out of the three women I had interviewed, two had breast cancer indirectly affect them. It made me realize the importance of speaking about any health issue outside the circle of people I am always with. Having these interviews allowed me broaden my perception of the diseases affecting people today.