title: Tailoring cancer education and support programs for low-income, primarily African American cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify the information and stress-management topics of most interest to low-income, predominantly African American cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  descriptive, cross sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  outpatient oncology clinic in a public hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 patients with cancer; 12 were men, 22 were African Americans, and 16 had a 12th-grade education or less.
  
  
  METHODS
  patients ranked potential topics to be included in an educational curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  quantitative rankings of information and stress-management priorities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  learning about cancer, understanding cancer treatments, relieving cancer pain, and keeping well in mind and body were the most highly ranked topics among those offered within the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope curriculum, which also included supportive topics such as mobilizing social support. The preferred stress-management topics were humor therapy, music therapy, meditation, and relaxation; lower-ranked topics included pet therapy and art as therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  cancer survivors appear most interested in topics specific to their illness and treatment versus supportive topics. Stress management also received high rankings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  nurses have a key role in providing patient education and support. Tailoring education programs may better target specific needs and improve the quality of cancer care of underserved patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. mymartin@uab.edu
authors.forename: Michelle Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Judith Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kratt
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prayor-Patterson
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dignan
authors.forename: Lydia C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cheney
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pisu
authors.forename: Amandiy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liwo
authors.forename: Sandral
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hullett
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology