Living conditions and coping strategies of women with breast cancer in Córdoba, Colombia

Abstract: Breast cancer is a reality that has meant death for thousands of women, constituting a stressful event that affects the emotional and psychological health of the patient. This study aims to determine the types of coping strategies developed by women diagnosed with breast cancer in the city of Monteria, Colombia in the period 2013-2017. A sample of 131 patients was determined and a probability of success and failure of 50% was estimated, with a margin for error no greater than 5% and a confidence of Z α = 95%. The sociodemographic survey showed that the participants were of limited economic resources, low education level, unemployed, with a partner and profess the catholic religion; the data provided by the Inventory Brief-COPE-28 refer to the preference for the type and strategy of active coping in 67.3% and 83.78% respectively, the frequency of use of the strategy was obtained the planning (55%), active ( 56%) and religion (64%); and the level of regular coping prevailed in all categories. Despite the precarious living conditions, the participants use active strategies to survive, which implies that integral accompaniment processes must be implemented in order to enhance the coping capacity of the subjects.