title: Designing audience-centered interactive voice response messages to promote cancer screenings among low-income Latinas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer screening rates among Latinas are suboptimal. The objective of this study was to explore how Latinas perceive cancer screening and the use and design of interactive voice response (IVR) messages to prompt scheduling of 1 or more needed screenings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven focus groups were conducted with Latina community health center patients (n = 40) in need of 1 or more cancer screenings: 5 groups were of women in need of 1 cancer screening (breast, cervical, or colorectal), and 2 groups were of women in need of multiple screenings. A bilingual researcher conducted all focus groups in Spanish using a semistructured guide. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and translated into English for analysis. Emergent themes were identified by using thematic content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were familiar with cancer screening and viewed it positively, although barriers to screening were identified (unaware overdue for screening, lack of physician referral, lack of insurance or insufficient insurance coverage, embarrassment or fear of screening procedures, fear of screening outcomes). Women needing multiple screenings voiced more concern about screening procedures, whereas women in need of a single screening expressed greater worry about the screening outcome. Participants were receptive to receiving IVR messages and believed that culturally appropriate messages that specified needed screenings while emphasizing the benefit of preventive screening would motivate them to schedule needed screenings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants' receptiveness to IVR messages suggests that these messages may be an acceptable strategy to promote cancer screening among underserved Latina patients. Additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of IVR messages in promoting completion of cancer screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, 25 West Independence Way, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. E-mail: mgreaney@mail.uri.edu.
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Greaney
authors.affiliation: Center on Health, Risk, and Society and School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Jesus
authors.affiliation: Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Kim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sprunck-Harrild
authors.affiliation: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, New Hampshire.
authors.forename: Trinidad
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tellez
authors.affiliation: University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Roshan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bastani
authors.affiliation: Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Michaelson
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Emmons
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003142:Communication; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011203:Poverty; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology