Abstract
BackgroundHispanic survivors of cancer experience increased cancer burden. Lifestyle behaviors, including diet and physical activity, may reduce the cancer burden. There is limited knowledge about the posttreatment lifestyle experiences of Hispanic survivors of cancer living on the United States–Mexico border.ObjectiveThis study aims to support the development of a stakeholder-informed, culturally relevant, evidence-based lifestyle intervention for Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of cancer living in a border community to improve their dietary quality and physical activity.MethodsSemistructured interviews with 12 Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of breast cancer and 7 caregivers were conducted through internet-based 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 and delivery preferences. Interviews were analyzed using a deductive thematic approach grounded in the Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework.ResultsKey survivor themes included perception of Mexican diet as unhealthy, need for reliable diet-related information, perceived benefits of physical activity after cancer treatment, family support for healthy lifestyles (physical and emotional), presence of cancer-related symptoms interfering with lifestyle, and financial barriers to living a healthy lifestyle. Among caregivers, key themes included effects of the cancer caregiving experience on caregivers’ lifestyle and cancer-preventive behaviors and gratification in providing support to the survivors.ConclusionsThe 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 survivors of cancer 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 survivors of cancer living in border communities.
Highlights
BackgroundCancer remains the leading cause of death among Hispanic people in the United States [1]
Key survivor themes included perception of Mexican diet as unhealthy, need for reliable diet-related information, perceived benefits of physical activity after cancer treatment, family support for healthy lifestyles, presence of cancer-related symptoms interfering with lifestyle, and financial barriers to living a healthy lifestyle
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 survivors of cancer living in border communities
Summary
BackgroundCancer remains the leading cause of death among Hispanic people in the United States [1]. Common comorbid conditions include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity [2,3,4] and metabolic diseases that disproportionately affect Hispanic patients [5]. The burden of these comorbidities is higher among Hispanic people [6,7,8]. Among border-dwelling Hispanic people in the United States, mortality incidence rates exceed those in non-Hispanic White people for all obesity-related cancer types [9], which supports the need for health promotion programs to reduce health disparities in this vulnerable group. There is limited knowledge about the posttreatment lifestyle experiences of Hispanic survivors of cancer living on the United States–Mexico border
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