Causal attribution among women with breast cancer was studied. The study included 157 women outpatients with breast cancer. A form for sociodemographic and clinical data and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) were used. The results showed that women attributed breast cancer primarily to psychological causes, which does not correspond to known multifactorial causes validated by the scientific community. Providing high quality, patient-centered care requires sensitivity to breast cancer women's beliefs about the causes of their cancer and awareness of how it can influence patient's health behaviors after diagnosis. If women with breast cancer attribute the illness to modifiable factors then they can keep a healthy lifestyle, improving their recovery and decrease the probability of cancer recurrence after diagnosis.

The Common Sense Model refers to the association between disease perception and health behaviors. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire for Healthy People - (IPQ-RH) in healthy women about breast cancer. A total of 321 women participated, with a mean age of 55.72 years old (SD = 10.75), users of Basic Health Units. Confirmatory factor analyzes (CFAs) were carried out and the McDonald’s Omega and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated. The results of the CFAs confirmed the structure of seven factors for the IPQ-RH (CFI = .92; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .03; SRMR = .06) and of two factors for the subscale of causes of the disease (CFI = .97; TLI = .97; RMSEA = .00; SRMR = .05). The instrument’s reliability was, in general, satisfactory. The IPQ-RH has appropriate psychometric properties to investigate the illness perception in healthy women.

Abstract.Background: Breast cancer is the neoplasm with the highest mortality rates among Brazilian women. Family history plays an important role in tracking the illness because its analysis reveals possible genetic risks. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the risk perception and self-care for breast cancer among healthy women with and without family history. Method: The study included 211 women (mean age = 59.11 years, SD = 8.54) of which 55 (26.4%) had a family history of the illness. The instruments used were a sociodemographic and health behavior questionnaire and a risk perception questionnaire. Results and Conclusions: The results showed no significant differences in risk perception and self-care behavior among women with and without breast cancer history, signaling the need of guidelines for psychologists to act in breast cancer prevention among women with a family history, encompassing understanding of the risk factors and causes of the illness as well as women's responsibility in tracking. Keywords: Cancer; breast cancer; self-regulation; self-care; illness prevention.[en] Detección precoz del cáncer de mama: el papel de la percepción de riesgo y la historia familiar Resumen. Introducción: el cáncer de mama es el segundo tipo de neoplasia con más mortalidad entre las mujeres brasileñas. La historia familiar tiene un papel importante, pues su análisis permite identificar posibles riesgos genéticos. Objectivo: comparar la percepción de riesgo y el autocuidado del cáncer de mama en mujeres sanas con y sin historia familiar de la enfermedad. Método: Participaron 211 mujeres (edad media = 59,11 años, DT= 8,54), de las cuales 55 (26,4%) tenían historia familiar de la enfermedad. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron un cuestionario sociodemográfico y de conductas de salud y un cuestionario de percepción de riesgo. Resultados y Conclusiones: Los resultados mostraron que no existían diferencias significativas en la percepción de riesgo y conductas de autocuidado entre mujeres con y sin historia familiar de cáncer de mama, lo que señala la necesidad de protocolos de trabajo para los psicólogos en la prevención del cáncer de mama en mujeres con historia familiar de enfermedad oncológica, lo que incluye la comprensión de los factores de riesgo y las causas de la enfermedad, así como su responsabilidad en el seguimiento. Palabras clave: cáncer; cáncer de mama; autoregulación; autocuidado; prevención de enfermedades.Sumario.

This study aimed to examine the causal attribution for cervical cancer for women with and without the disease. Seventy-eight (78) users from the public healthcare system participated, which were divided into: a clinical group ( Keywords: Self-regulation; cancer; causation; women's health. ResumenEl estudio buscó examinar la atribución de causas del cáncer cervical de mujeres con y sin la enfermedad. Participaron setenta y ocho (78) usuarias del sistema público de salud, que fueron divididas en: grupo clínico (GC) de mujeres con cáncer cervical, y grupo no-clínico (GNC) de mujeres sin cáncer cervical. Fue utilizado un cuestionario de datos sociodemográ-ficos y clínicos y la versión en portugués del Illness Perception Questionnaire para pacientes enfermos y personas sanas. Las respuestas fueron agrupadas en seis categorías: 1) Atribuciones psicológicas; 2) Factores de riscos comportamentales; 3) Factores biológicos; 4) Mala suerte; 5) Falta de recursos; 6) Agentes quími-cos. El GC atribuyó más causas emocionales al cáncer cervical, mientras el GNC atribuyó más causas asociadas a factores de risco comportamentales. Los resultados sugieren que mujeres con cáncer pueden culparse a sí mismas por la enfermedad. Creencias equivocadas sobre la etiología del cáncer cervical pueden perjudicar conductas de prevención y prácticas de autocuidado.Palabras clave: Auto-regulación; cáncer; causas; salud de la mujer.

No abstract

Sistema de avaliação: às cegas por pares (double blind review).

Background: Early detection of breast cancer (BC) is important to reduce mortality rates. To prevent BC, women should adopt self-care behaviors. This study aimed at examining risk and illness perception and self-care of healthy women regarding breast cancer. Methods: Participants were 211 women (M = 59.11 years, SD = 8.54) and with no personal history of the illness, selected by convenience. Measures were a sociodemographic, clinical and health behavior questionnaire, illness perception and risk perception questionnaires. Nonparametric statistics (Spearman) was employed to analyze the relationship between illness perception, risk perception and sociodemographic variables. The open answers to the causes of the illness were classified according to the content analysis. Results: We found a relationship between risk and illness perception and self-care in healthy women regarding BC. It was identified that women had reasonable illness coherence (M = 3.18) and considered the illness more timeline chronic than timeline acute (M = 3.22), reasonable timeline cyclical (M = 3.56), with severe consequences for health (M = 4.22), and reasonably threatening (M = 3.15). Conclusions: BC and risk perception and self-care are interrelated variables among healthy women. ***Prevenção do cancer de mama: o que as mulheres pensam sobre a doença, seus riscos e autocuidado***Introdução: A detecção precoce do câncer de mama (CM) é importante para reduzir as taxas de mortalidade. Para preveni-lo, a mulher deve adotar comportamentos de autocuidado em saúde. Esse estudo objetiva examinar a percepção de risco, a percepção da doença e o autocuidado de mulheres saudáveis com relação ao CM. Método: Participaram 211 mulheres (M = 59,11 anos; DP = 8,54) sem histórico de CM selecionados por conveniência. Os instrumentos foram questionário de dados sociodemográficos, clínicos e decomportamento em saúde, questionários de percepção da doença e percepção de risco. Estatística não paramétrica (Spearman) foi utilizada para analisar a relação entre percepção da doença, percepção de risco e variáveis sociodemográficas. As respostas abertas sobre as causas da doença foram classificadas segundo análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Observou-se que existe relação entre a percepção de risco e da doença, e autocuidado em mulheres saudáveis. Identificou-se que as mulheres têm razoável percepção de entendimento da doença (M = 3.18), a consideravam mais crônica que aguda (M = 3.22), razoavelmente cíclica (M = 3,56), com consequências graves à saúde (M = 4,22), e relativamente ameaçadora (M = 3,15). Conclusões: A percepção do CM, a percepção de risco e o autocuidado são variáveis inter-relacionadas em mulheres saudáveis.Palavras-chave: Neoplasias; Autorregulação; Câncer de mama; Autocuidado.

Wearable devices use sensors that continuously capture physiological signals and, once processed, allow the monitoring and development of interventions in various areas of health, including mental disorders. In Clinical Psychology, this type of technology can cooperate to the objective and continuous measurement of stress, as well as to generate feedback when stressful situations occur. This narrative literature review focused on these devices, presenting the main scientific data available, as well as opportunities and difficulties in implementing these devices in stress assessment and health treatments. The reviewed research indicated that it is necessary to develop more robust and theoretically based systems that integrate physiological, subjective and contextual responses to implement this type of wearable in clinical contexts. However, the accuracy already demonstrated by wearable sensors in laboratory situations and some continuous monitoring tests, reinforce that these are tools with great potential for application in clinical psychological practice.