Working with African American women to develop a cancer literacy assessment tool.
BACKGROUND
Although African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer, they suffer a 30% higher age-adjusted mortality. Lower health literacy levels diminish women's ability to engage in cancer prevention and detection activities.


METHODS
We conducted a focus group with lay health workers, following their completion of structured literacy assessments.


RESULTS
The women's performance established the feasibility and acceptability of incorporating literacy assessments. However, the findings identified perceived limits in existing measures and identified attributes that should be included in cancer-focused literacy assessments.


CONCLUSIONS
A cancer-specific literacy assessment could assist community health workers in measuring women's functional cancer literacy.
Williams
Karen Patricia
KP
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Karen.Williams@ht.msu.edu
Mullan
Patricia B
PB
Fletcher
Faith
F
D001741:Black or African American; D001364:Awareness; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States