Finding Effective Ways to Communicate in Plain Language: Enhancing Breast Health Messaging In AAW

Low-income African American women with poor literacy skills disproportionately suffer poor health outcomes from many preventable diseases. These problems are compounded by the fact that various health materials remain culturally insensitive and at inappropriate literacy levels making it difficult for African Americans with low literacy skills to access the care they need. Finding effective ways to communicate in plain language can facilitate AAW's obtaining a medical diagnosis in a timely manner and understanding their medical condition. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to summarize recent focus group data associated with AAW who expressed ways in which breast health messaging can motivate them to participate in screening. Two research questions guided the investigation 1) What are AAW's experiences with breast health information and health messaging? and 2) Which preferred communication strategy is most effective at increasing mammography use in AA women? Preliminary findings suggested that in traditional settings (clinics; doctor's office, etc) health care providers should pay attention to the format they use in conveying messages. Strategies such as group learning, peer-to-peer learning, and support groups may be more useful approaches in helping women with low literacy skills comprehend medical and health-related materials. Lastly, many women indicated that they frequently accessed the Internet and websites for obtaining information about breast cancer, but preferred more group interactions for learning about breast health.