title: Community Engagement for Identifying Cancer Education Needs in Puerto Rico.
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.
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico. jcjimenez@psm.edu.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Francisco E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Ramos-Rivera
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gwede
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.|Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Gwendolyn P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vadaparampil
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brandon
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Vani
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, 00732-7004, Puerto Rico.|Psychiatry Department, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Eida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D017028:Caregivers; D003256:Community Participation; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006282:Health Personnel; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012577:Schools, Medical; D061108:Social Media
keywords: Cancer education; Cancer prevention; Community engagement; Community forum; Outreach; Puerto Rico; Qualitative