Health Promotion among Mexican Origin Breast Cancer Survivors and Cancer Caregivers Living in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: A Qualitative Analysis from the Vida Plena Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Hispanic cancer survivors experience increased cancer burden. Lifestyle behaviors, including diet and physical activity, may reduce cancer burden. There is limited knowledge about the post-treatment lifestyle experiences of Hispanic cancer survivors living on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Objective:
Support development of a stakeholder-informed, culturally-relevant, evidence-based lifestyle intervention for Mexican origin Hispanic cancer survivors living in a border community to improve dietary quality and physical activity.
Methods:
We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 Mexican origin Hispanic breast cancer survivors and 7 caregivers through virtual teleconferencing. The interviews explored the impact of cancer on lifestyle and treatment-related symptoms, perception of lifestyle as an influence on health after cancer, and intervention content/delivery preferences. Interviews were analyzed using a deductive thematic approach grounded by the Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care framework.
Results:
Key survivor themes included: 1) perception of Mexican diet as unhealthy for cancer survivors; 2) need for reliable diet-related information; 3) perceived benefits of physical activity after cancer treatment; 4) family support for healthy lifestyles (physical and emotional); 5) presence of cancer-related symptoms interfering with lifestyle; and 6) financial barriers to live a healthy lifestyle. Among caregivers, key themes included: 1) effects of the cancer caregiving experience on caregiver’s lifestyle and cancer-preventive behaviors and 2) gratification in providing support to the survivor.
Conclusions:
The interviews revealed key considerations to the adaptation, development and implementation of a theory-informed, evidence-based, culturally-relevant lifestyle program to support lifestyle behavior change among Mexican origin Hispanic cancer survivors living in border communities. Our qualitative findings highlight specific strategies that can be implemented in health promotion programming aimed at encouraging cancer protective behaviors to reduce the burden of cancer and comorbidities in Mexican origin cancer survivors living in border communities.
Citation
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Copyright
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