Creando Nuestra Salud: Breaking down internal barriers to breast health among Spanish-speaking, Hispanic women in Florida and Kentucky

Creando Nuestra Salud [Creating our health] was a one-year project that surveyed Hispanic women to gather their views on breast cancer. From the findings, a campaign was created, including the development of original materials with input from the community. This project highlights the involvement of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the research, development of new materials, and the dissemination of these educational materials back to the participating communities in Florida and Kentucky.

Creando Nuestra Salud interviewed 288 rural, Hispanic women, ages 12 to 80, about their knowledge of breast health, breast cancer, and internal barriers to early detection. All surveys were facilitated by CHWs. The findings, in contrast to other breast cancer projects, offer a multigenerational perspective of the social factors and health beliefs affecting Hispanic women's participation in breast cancer screening.

The two culturally appropriate”fotonovela” materials developed in response to the survey findings will be highlighted, emphasizing the role of Hispanics CHWs in both the story development and the character portrayal as actors for the materials. The utility of “fotonovela” materials as they relate to modeling positive behaviors, teaching others, and the impact of testimonials on risk-recognition will also be addressed.