Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111923

Michelle Samplin-Salgado, MPH, Charles H. Dart, MSPH, Cynthia Stein, MD, MPH, and Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH. Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Harvard School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Landmark 3-East, Boston, MA 02215, 617.998.1033, msamplin@hsph.harvard.edu

By the year 2010, it is estimated that Hispanics/Latinos will become the largest minority group in the U.S.—an estimated 13 percent of the U.S. population. However, outreach to this population with respect to cancer prevention has been scarce. To help address this issue, the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention developed an interactive, Spanish-language website based on the popular Your Disease Risk (http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/) site. Culturally and linguistically tailored for Hispanics/Latinos, the adapted website, Cuidar de su Salud (http://www.cuidardesusalud.harvard.edu), offers consumers personalized risk assessments and prevention tips for cancer and four other chronic diseases.

Formative research drove the site's adaptation and included a detailed literature review and six focus groups with Latino/Hispanic adults in the Greater Boston area. Overall findings from the focus groups indicate that Latino/Hispanic participants:

• have a general willingness to accept a preventative health site in Spanish;

• often turn to the Internet as their first source of information for health-related topics;

• lack exposure to the concept of disease prevention; and

• prefer viewing websites and receiving their health-related information in Spanish but appreciate having it available in both Spanish and English.

Once translated, the site's content was reviewed to assure that it was culturally and linguistically appropriate and relevant for Hispanics/Latinos of diverse countries of origin. By tailoring the website specifically for this population, we hope to increase our ability to provide information via the Internet that is responsive to the specific needs and health concerns of Hispanics/Latinos.

Learning Objectives: