Current Research:
Physical Health
Exercise and Hispanic Breast Cancer Survivors
Danny Hughes, Ph.D.
Importance
- Exercise can effectively manage stress as well as promote health
- Hispanics constitute about 25% of the population in Houston, yet they are understudied
Goals and Findings
- Hispanic breast cancer survivors received individualized 12-week exercise programs, based on their assed capacities
- Twenty-five Hispanic women successfully completed the program with significant improvements in their physical fitness
- More exercise was associated with reductions in stress as measured by self-report and salivary cortisol levels
Cancer Recurrence, Death and Dying
Stephanie Kovacs, & Mekhala Samsi, Ph.D.
Importance
- Some survivors and their families have to face recurrence
- Regardless of ethnicity or age, life-threatening illness and the process of dying have a significant affect on each family member’s perception of self, goals, and how they define the meaning of life
Goals and Findings
- Working to increase our understanding of each individual’s experience of illness, dying, and death
- Developing better methods of support and compassion for those breast cancer survivor and their families preparing for and experiencing loss
- Evaluating the impact of fear of recurrence on quality of life
