Community perceptions on healthy lifestyles: Developing a culturally-appropriate toolkit

Cancer incidence and mortality have been unequally distributed, occurring in racial and ethnic minorities at a disproportional rate. It is estimated that about one-third of cancer deaths could be presented through healthy lifestyle behaviors. Therefore, it is vital to increase knowledge about healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention among racial/ethnic minorities using culturally and linguistically-appropriate methods. This study conducted focus groups to document frequently occurring themes and opinions related to cancer prevention in three communities: African American, Hispanic, and Haitian. The information gathered in the focus groups were then used to develop three, culturally and linguistically-appropriate Healthy Lifestyle Toolkits. The process for developing the toolkits was adopted from the National Cancer Institute, Clear & Simple: Developing Effective Print Materials for Low-Literate Readers. Three focus groups per population were conducted, with a total of 61 participants (23 African American, 20 Hispanics, and 18 Haitians). Each focus group was conducted in the respective language of each population group. Opinions on physical activity, diet/nutrition, and smoking were discussed. Additionally, participants provided their opinions on how the toolkits should look and what key information they preferred to have in the toolkit. Three separate toolkits were created for each population group, taking into account the participants' opinions. The images, statistics, information, and recipes that were included in the toolkits were specifically tailored according to each racial/ethnic minority group. Toolkits will be disseminated to the participants and throughout the community, specifically to community partners and agencies that work with underserved minority communities.