Preferences for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer information among Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican women at risk

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the preferences of at-risk Hispanic women to gain information on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC).

Aims: This study sought to qualitatively explore preferences for HBOC information among at-risk Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban women and to pilot a mock brochure aimed at Hispanic women.

Methods: Hispanic women aged 18-65 years with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer participated in a semistructured interview. Data were analyzed using a combination of open-coding and content analysis.

Results: Fifty-three women participated in the study. For the majority of content areas, there were no major differences between the subethnicities. All women reported discussing cancer with a doctor after a family member had been diagnosed and discussing cancer within their families; however, the content of the discussion varied. Cuban and Puerto Rican women reported using the Internet routinely for health care information while Mexican women said they did not have access to computers and did not use them. All women liked the content and photos in the brochure but Mexican women thought the reading level was too high. Preferences for the spokesperson focused on the need for Spanish-speaking health care providers.

Conclusions: While the data show some similarities, such as patterns of cancer discussion and appreciation of the mock brochure, there were differences between the groups on information preferences. In designing HBOC education information for Hispanic audiences, it is important to consider varied channels for dissemination and preferences for specific types of information across subethnicities.