Development and pilot testing of a brochure to improve quality of life among less acculturated Asian American breast cancer survivors

Existing patient education materials on sexuality and intimacy issues for breast cancer survivors have generally been developed by and for White women and thus may have reduced relevance for less acculturated Asian American breast cancer survivors. This project is aimed at developing and testing the efficacy of culturally and linguistically appropriate brochure to improve quality of life for Asian American breast cancer survivors. For this pilot study, we developed a brochure on intimacy and sexuality issues related to breast cancer diagnosis. Sex is a taboo topic in many Asian American communities. The brochure addressed the unique intimacy and sexuality-related issues among less acculturated Asian American breast cancer survivors. Two trained female bilingual interviewers conducted fifty one-on-one, in person interviews with Chinese and Vietnamese breast cancer survivors representing a diverse set of demographic (e.g., education, acculturation) and clinical characteristics. Interviews were to probe the educational aspects of a brochure. The pre- and post intervention surveys were used to measure participants' attitudes, knowledge about sexuality and emotional issues related to breast cancer diagnosis before and immediately after the intervention. Participants participated in a 2-month follow up phone interviews to test the acceptability and efficacy of our educational booklet. Participants identified important areas for improvement that are likely to lead to more culturally tailored and acceptable educational materials. By implementing these suggestions, the study expects the brochure will provide meaningful information about follow up care that is appropriate for widespread dissemination to Asian American breast cancer survivors.