Latinos and political advocacy for cancer control

Health policy interventions can provide powerful tools for effectively addressing the unrelenting disparities in health that exist across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The Latino community is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States, yet they have been largely underrepresented in government and advocacy efforts. The current study uses combined quantitative and qualitative data to explore Latino perspectives on barriers to engaging in political advocacy for cancer control. Between April and July 2010, a total of 42 Latino adults participated in 1 of 6 focus groups and completed a brief written questionnaire assessing their experiences and social supports for political advocacy efforts. The participants were predominantly female (81%), with a mean age of 45 years and a wide range of past personal involvement in political advocacy efforts. Three primary themes emerged from the focus group discussions. First, there was a general lack of awareness of political advocacy to address community health concerns. After discussing political advocacy in the focus groups, most participants felt it was not something “ordinary people” could do. Second, there were multiple practical and cultural barriers to engaging in political advocacy, including distrust and fear of political processes and cancer concerns. Third, there is a need to adapt advocacy efforts to emphasize more group-based activities that highlight personal stories from leaders and survivors in the Latino community. Moreover, there is a need to provide education on the links between political advocacy efforts and short- and long-term outcomes highlighting ways that community members can become involved. Limitations of the study and future directions for political advocacy with immigrant communities will also be discussed.