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Community Engagement for Identifying Cancer Education Needs in Puerto Rico

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Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Puerto Rico, suggesting a need for improved strategies, programs, and resources devoted to cancer prevention. Enhanced prevention needs in Puerto Rico were initially identified in pilot studies conducted by the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) in collaboration with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC). In the current study, we used community engagement to identify specific needs in cancer prevention and education and strategies to create culturally attuned, effective cancer prevention education programs. A total of 37 participants attended a community forum and were assigned to one of three discussion groups: patients/survivors (n = 14); family/caregivers (n = 11); or healthcare providers (n = 12). Most participants were women (73 %), over 35 years of age, and a majority were married (58 %) and had a university education (81 %). The sessions were recorded and transcribed and analyzed for key themes. Participants wanted improved awareness of cancer prevention in Puerto Rico and believed cancer prevention education should start early, ideally in elementary school. Participants also stressed the importance of creating partnerships with private and government agencies to coordinate educational efforts. Suggested strategies included outreach to communities with limited resources, incorporating the testimony of cancer survivors, and utilizing social media to disseminate cancer prevention information.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the participants in the community forums for their time and thoughtful participation. We would also like to acknowledge the Ponce School of Medicine/Moffitt Cancer Center Partnership (grant numbers: U56CA126379 and U54CA163071 [PSM]; U56CA118809 and U54CA163068 [MCC]) for supporting this project. Marithea Goberville, PhD, provided editorial assistance with this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico

    Julio Jiménez, Axel Ramos, Francisco E. Ramos-Rivera & Eida Castro

  2. Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA

    Clement Gwede, Gwendolyn P. Quinn, Susan Vadaparampil, Thomas Brandon & Vani Simmons

  3. Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Gwendolyn P. Quinn

  4. Psychiatry Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico

    Eida Castro

Authors
  1. Julio Jiménez
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  2. Axel Ramos
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  3. Francisco E. Ramos-Rivera
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  4. Clement Gwede
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  5. Gwendolyn P. Quinn
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  6. Susan Vadaparampil
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  7. Thomas Brandon
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  8. Vani Simmons
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  9. Eida Castro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julio Jiménez.

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Jiménez, J., Ramos, A., Ramos-Rivera, F.E. et al. Community Engagement for Identifying Cancer Education Needs in Puerto Rico. J Canc Educ 33, 12–20 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1111-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1111-5

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