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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Daniela Friedman, PhD, Department of Health Promotion, Education & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 803-777-9933, dfriedma@gwm.sc.edu and Laurie Hoffman-Goetz, PhD, MPH, Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue, 200 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.

Background: The majority of cancer information on the Internet is not tailored to meet the cancer information needs of culturally diverse populations. Cancer prevention resources intended for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples should be respectful of their cultural and spiritual customs. Methods: With the help of a First Nations seniors' housing complex and Native organizations, women aged 50 and older in Ontario, Canada were recruited to the study. During in-person interviews, Native women were asked to read two articles on breast cancer from websites of reputable cancer organizations (Canadian Cancer Society) and Aboriginal health departments (Inuit Tapirisat of Kanada). A newly-developed, published Cultural Sensitivity Checklist was used to measure the cultural sensitivity of the materials. Results: Qualitative analysis of interviews (n=25) found that Aboriginal senior women preferred to read culturally relevant breast cancer information that directly or indirectly made reference to Native peoples' cancer risk or that included testimonials about Native women's experience with the disease. Nonetheless, some women thought that the website designed for Native women did a poor job of presenting breast cancer information due to its lengthy paragraphs and lack of illustrations. They found the website that presented generic breast cancer information to be much easier to read (i.e., clear diagrams, bolded headings, bullet points) though the site was less informative and culturally appropriate. Conclusions: Results suggest that culturally sensitive cancer information should incorporate health attitudes and behaviors of Aboriginal women and present the information in a clear, readable manner to encourage informed decision-making.

Learning Objectives: The participant/learner in this session will be able to

• Recognize the importance of culturally sensitive, plain language cancer resources for senior Aboriginal women.
• Identify informational barriers that ethnic groups encounter when accessing online cancer information.
• Apply a Cultural Sensitivity Checklist to printed health and cancer resources intended for ethnic populations.

Keywords: Health Literacy, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation