A phenomenological study of the cultural lived experiences among Angolan women with breast cancer

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to explore and describe the lived experiences of Angolan women with breast cancer, considering the socio-cultural context and health care challenges they face. Method: Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted among Angolan women with breast cancer. Purposeful sampling was utilised to select participants with diverse age groups and ethnic backgrounds. We performed a qualitative study using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Results: The present study found cultural views of breast cancer, family support, and religious-spiritual coping to be essential themes. The results offer significant insights into the cultural framework of health in Angolan society, encompassing the information, perceptions, and cognitions employed to describe, comprehend, and elucidate illness, as well as the pursuit of therapy that seldom aligns biological criteria. Conclusions: The present study has implications for nursing, as it recognises that individuals have unique behaviours and thoughts related to their current understanding of the illness, their personal experience with the illness, and their specific beliefs about health and healing. The findings of this study provide essential insights into how Angolan women’s cultural beliefs and practices shape their experiences with breast cancer, offering nurses a foundation to develop culturally competent care approaches.