F Allan Hubbell1, Pat H Luce, Juliet M McMullin. 1. Department of Medicine, Center for Health Policy and Research, University of California, Irvine, UCI Medical Center, 101 City Drive, Orange, CA 92868-4076, USA. fahubbel@uci.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate answers to the following questions among American Samoans: What is cancer? What causes cancer? And what can you do to prevent cancer? DESIGN: Focus groups (four with women and four with men). SETTINGS: Pago Pago and the Manu'a islands, American Samoa; Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, California. PARTICIPANTS: 80 self-reported Samoan men and women over the age of 18 years, selected through non-probability purposive sampling with help from Samoan community-based organizations. MEASUREMENT: Qualitative content analysis of focus findings to identify themes. RESULTS: The concepts that cancer was not a Samoan illness, that failure to follow fa'aSamoa (the traditional Samoan way of life) could lead to cancer, and that a return to fa'aSamoa could prevent cancer were the prevalent themes in the focus groups. CONCLUSION: The value that Samoans place on fa'aSamoa, a traditional healthy lifestyle, provides insights into the design of future intervention programs aimed at improving cancer control in this population.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate answers to the following questions among American Samoans: What is cancer? What causes cancer? And what can you do to prevent cancer? DESIGN: Focus groups (four with women and four with men). SETTINGS: Pago Pago and the Manu'a islands, American Samoa; Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, California. PARTICIPANTS: 80 self-reported Samoan men and women over the age of 18 years, selected through non-probability purposive sampling with help from Samoan community-based organizations. MEASUREMENT: Qualitative content analysis of focus findings to identify themes. RESULTS: The concepts that cancer was not a Samoan illness, that failure to follow fa'aSamoa (the traditional Samoan way of life) could lead to cancer, and that a return to fa'aSamoa could prevent cancer were the prevalent themes in the focus groups. CONCLUSION: The value that Samoans place on fa'aSamoa, a traditional healthy lifestyle, provides insights into the design of future intervention programs aimed at improving cancer control in this population.
Authors: Judith D DePue; Rochelle K Rosen; Marian Batts-Turner; Nicole Bereolos; Meaghan House; Rachel Forster Held; Ofeira Nu'usolia; John Tuitele; Michael G Goldstein; Stephen T McGarvey Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2010-09-23 Impact factor: 9.308