Table 2.

Categorizing themes by cultural empowerment—perceptions, enablers, and nurturers

	Themes	Positive (things that improve one’s participation in a genetic study)	Existential (unfamiliar things that have no harmful consequences on participation)	Negative (things that compromise one’s participation)
Perceptions	Low knowledge about research and breast cancer		X	X
	Some knowledge about DNA	X
	Lack of sharing disease status with family members		X	X
	Security of data/confidentiality concerns			X
	What I don’t know won’t hurt me			X
Enablers	Genetics on TV	X		X
	Lack of research in African Americans	X		X
	Guinea pig/Tuskegee			X
	Disparity in the amount of information about breast cancer in African Americans	X		X
	Shamefulness of cancer; wrongdoing or punishment			X
	Fatalism			X
	Communication barriers			X
	Celebrity spokesperson	X
Nurturers	Extensive time commitment			X
	Personal experience with studies/genetic testing	X
	Secrecy/family business		X	X
	Need for research	X
	Fear of knowing			X
	Asking for saliva sample only (not blood)	X
	Study on breast cancer only (not any disease)	X
	Becoming aware of genetic risk	X		X
	Need for education	X
	Don’t know family history		X
	Benefit for future generations	X
	First breast cancer family study in African Americans	X	X