Assessing the needs of low-income African American Cancer Survivors and their Caregivers: Using Photovoice Methodology

The purpose of this presentation is to describe the development and lessons learned of conducting a community-based participatory needs assessment which used a photovoice model to capture needs and concerns of inner-city African American cancer survivors.

Snowball sampling methods produce a rich sample of African American cancer survivors and caregivers living in a five inner-city neighborhoods. We used a research methodology known as photovoice to capture the needs experienced by those with having experienced cancer (past or present) and their caregivers. Twenty patients attended picture taking training sessions which helped them to critically reflect on their environment and used this to take pictures. Based on these pictures, we developed the themes that identified the multiple and varied factors that influence the patient's ability to control manage their cancer treatments effectively. Furthermore, we developed a community advisory team consisting of community residents and other community stakeholders to guide the research.

In this presentation, we will discuss the challenges associated with the photovoice assignment. More importantly, we will discuss the feasibility and rewards of utilizing this particular method, photovoice, to capture important and visually powerful themes related to cancer survivorship. This project not only highlighted the significance of cancer and the role of social support to the participants but it also served to educate and inform others about the challenges associated with cancer survivorship in the African American community.