Lessons Learned From A Breast And Cervical Cancer Prevention Program For Mexican Women In Tucson, Arizona

Abstract

Meta Salud: Cánceres de la Mujer is an educational intervention program developed by El Colegio de Sonora and piloted by a team from the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Project goals included increasing knowledge of the strategies used to prevent and detect breast and cervical cancer in order to mitigate the prevalence of these cancers among Mexican and Mexican American women. The curriculum focused on improving dietary and exercise habits and improving self-efficacy for cancer prevention and overall health. Over the course of six weeks, six two- hour sessions were held every Sunday in a church on the South Side of Tucson, Arizona. Seven Spanish- speaking women, all Mexican or Mexican-American and varying from ages 18 to 83, were recruited from the church to participate. Baseline and follow-up screenings (weight, glucose, cholesterol, and A1C) and a questionnaire about beliefs and knowledge regarding screening was used to evaluate the program. Positive changes in bio and anthropometric measures and responses to questionnaire indicate that the program was successful in several aspects. Results of this study can be useful in contributing to the literature regarding effectiveness of breast and cervical cancer prevention interventions specifically targeting Mexican and Hispanic communities.