"Un Abrazo Para la Familia": Providing Latino families with information and skills in coping with cancer and caregiving

This presentation reports on the development and evaluation of a free service, “Un Abrazo Para La Familia,” [A Hug for the Family] for the Latina breast cancer survivor and her family in Tucson, Arizona offered through the El Rio Community Health Center Wellness Program. The presentation will be delivered by the CHW/promotora who lead the development of the presentation and also leads the Un Abrazo intervention. The presentation will summarize the research that led to the development of Un Abrazo, funded by Susan G. Komen. Developed in partnership with the University of Arizona's Center of Excellence in Women's Health, initial research found that co-survivors reported a lack of skill in coping with the effects of cancer and family stress. The Abrazo program offers three classes in Spanish or English designed especially for each family. The classes provide the opportunity to learn the skills to live with cancer: skills in coping with cancer and caregiving, help understanding depression, information about the risks of breast cancer, and emotional support. An objective of our evaluation was to understand and document the process and outcomes of providing the intervention with female survivors and co-survivors of breast cancer. For instance, after one year, 63 families were served. Participants were 99% Hispanic and our results showed statistically significant improvement in cancer knowledge and in their self-confidence related to their cancer knowledge. Those attending the session will be able to explain how to recruit participants and how to design similar innovative intervention to families in their communities.