180279 Assessment of farm worker community needs: Adaptation of evidence-based programs

Monday, October 27, 2008: 5:30 PM

Martha Gonzalez, MA , Cancer Information Service - Coastal Region, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL
Julie Kornfeld, MPH, Phd Cand , Cancer Information Service - Coastal Region, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL
Nancy Rivera , Sembrando Flores, Homestead, FL
     
Purpose: Utilize an evidence-based approach to understanding cancer-related needs of farmworker communities in Homestead, FL.

Design and Methods: Eight peer discussions are being conducted between July 07 and September 08 with farmworker women in Homestead, FL. NCI's Using What Works (UWW) program, an evidence-based approach to conducting needs assessments was implemented. Based on methodology tested by the Wisconsin Farmers' Cancer Control Program (WFCCP), the NCI's CIS, Sembrando Flores, an agency dedicated to at-risk Latino communities in South Miami-Dade, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, implemented peer discussions to assess the knowledge and beliefs of the farmworker community regarding screening, cancer causes, detection, treatment and sources of cancer information relating to breast and cervical cancer.

Results: Two peer discussions, entitled “Mujeres Como Tu: Hablemos Sobre el Cancer” (Women Like You: Let's Talk about Cancer) have been conducted with twenty-six women participating. The results of eight peer discussions will be presented. Preliminary results indicate that the majority of female participants worked at some point in the fields, were from Mexico and El Salvador, had low awareness of existing cancer information sources, preferred interacting with peers for cancer information and were often confused by the messages from US doctors versus those in their country of origin.

Conclusions:

This presentation will discuss the design and implementation of an evidence-based approach to needs assessment in a farmworker community, provide an analysis of the qualitative data gained from the peer discussions and describe how evidence gathered will guide implementation of future interventions in this community.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) initiatives to foster the translation of research tested interventions into practice. 2. Increase understanding of the role of the NCI’s regional Cancer Information Service (CIS) in training and capacity building for organizations interested in implementing evidence based cancer control. 4. Increase understanding of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about cancer among Homestead’s farm worker communities to enhance evidence-based program planning and implementation 5. Understand unique conditions and environment of farm worker communities that impact cancer control programs in South Florida.

Keywords: Cancer, Evidence Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am Partnership Program Manager for the NCI's Cancer Information Service. I have worked with the Hispanic community for over 7 years in South Florida and for the past 3 years with a focus on farm workers.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: The Role of NCI's Cancer Information Services
See more of: Community Health Planning and Policy Development