Colon cancer knowledge and attitudes in an immigrant Haitian community.
OBJECTIVE
To qualitatively evaluate the views of Haitian immigrants on cancer and the influence of cultural and socio-ecological factors on cancer screening behavior.


METHODS
Six focus groups, consisting of 4-10 individuals each, were conducted among Haitian adults at average risk for colorectal cancer. The interviews were conducted in Haitian Creole and featured questions that addressed beliefs and attitudes about general health, access to health care, colon cancer, and screening practices.


RESULTS
The focus groups provided insight into the health service utilization patterns in the Haitian community, as well as the factors driving them including language and the pattern of accessing healthcare only for emergencies.


CONCLUSIONS
Many misconceptions regarding cancer and its development were evident in the discussions. However participants were willing to follow the recommendations of a physician. This highlighted the importance in this community of disseminating information at every opportunity about preventative care, including colorectal cancer screening.
Francois
Fritz
F
Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. fritz.francois@med.nyu.edu
Elysée
Greta
G
Shah
Susan
S
Gany
Francesca
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006205:Haiti / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology