Fashioned for us by us: Using an African American cancer survivorship calendar to promote breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer represents a major health issue for African American women in the United States. More Euro-American women are annually diagnosed with the disease, yet more African American women (including younger women) with breast cancer succumb. Culturally relevant approaches which increase preventive knowledge and behaviors among this affected population have the potential to curb cancer disparities. Tailored media, notably calendars to communicate health information, have the potential to generate these types of outcomes.

Using a Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) model and cultural tailoring strategies, Sisters Network® Nashville (SNN) one of forty-two affiliate chapters of Sisters Network® Incorporated, the first African American breast cancer survivors' organization in the United States partnered with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Office of Minority Affairs (VICC-OMA), part of a comprehensive cancer center in Nashville, Tennessee and Roland's Photography, an African American photographer to develop an 18-month inspirational survivorship calendar featuring African American breast cancer survivors, along with breast cancer prevention information. The Fashioned in Faith calendar, as part of a pilot project was disseminated during an annual cancer survivorship gala hosted by SNN in October 2007. The calendar project included an on-line survey, developed by project partners, including an African American social scientist, which measured the effectiveness of the calendar as a health communication tool and behaviors related to breast cancer prevention.

This paper describes the CBPR rationale and development of the calendar and survey, along with findings regarding the calendar's effectiveness as a health communication tool. Findings from this study indicate that culturally-tailored calendars prove effective in conveying particular types of health information to African Americans regarding breast cancer. Additionally, this case highlights the benefits of cultural affinity between researchers and community members in cancer prevention and health communication efforts.