Mujer Sana, Familia Fuerte: A culturally competent and linguistically appropriate cervical cancer prevention tool kit for Latina women in the US

In an effort to reduce cervical cancer disparities, the National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) Institute for Hispanic Health, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developed the Mujer Sana, Familia Fuerte (Healthy Woman, Strong Family) tool kit—a set of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate cervical cancer educational materials for Hispanic women. The Mujer Sana, Familia Fuerte (MSFF) tool kit was developed based on research showing that contributing factors to low cervical cancer screening rates among low-income, non-English speaking Latina immigrants include knowledge gaps about cervical cancer and screening, as well as cultural and attitudinal factors. Using popular education as a mechanism to drive behavior change, the MSFF tool kit was designed for use by promotoras de salud (community health workers) in the facilitation of small group charlas (health education sessions) with community members. The MSFF tool kit was developed using a community-based participatory approach, relying on input from renowned public health researchers and community members to ensure medical accuracy, educational value, and cultural relevance. In over three years, the MSFF tool kit has been tested with two NCLR Affiliates in Chicago, IL, and Washington, DC, reaching approximately 2,000 Latinas thus far. The tool kit has demonstrated effectiveness in building capacity among promotoras to conduct outreach and education around cervical cancer issues. Subsequent evaluation of the charlas' impact on community members has shown a significant increase in participants' knowledge about cervical cancer, and positive attitudes toward self-efficacy and intentions to obtain a Pap test.