Abstract
Purpose
Breast cancer mortality rates continue to improve due to advances in cancer control and treatment. However, gains in breast cancer survival rates vary by race. Psychosocial support systems can lead to improved health outcomes among cancer survivors. This study was a part of a larger study exploring the challenges that both African-American cancer survivors and caregivers face across the cancer continuum. The objective of this paper was to explore African-American breast cancer survivors’ and caregivers’ preferences regarding characteristics and qualities of Peer Connect guides to inform the development of a peer support program.
Methods
Forty-one African-American cancer survivors and caregivers participated in five focus groups lasting approximately 90 min. Participants were asked about what qualities or characteristics they would prefer in a peer support guide to make them feel comfortable talking with them. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis, an iterative coding process. Themes were identified based on the research team’s integrated and unified final codes.
Results
Twenty-two cancer survivors, 19 caregivers, and 3 individuals who were both survivors and caregivers participated in the focus groups. Participants discussed five preferences for peer support guides: (1) competency, (2) gender, (3) age, (4) cancer role status, and (5) relationship to participant.
Conclusions
This study highlights cancer survivors’ and caregivers’ perceptions of characteristics needed for peer support providers that in turn can influence whether and how they participate in cancer support programs.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the focus group participants for their time. Marlyn Allicock and La-Shell Johnson’s time was supported by the National Cancer Institute Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, Community Network Program Centers (CNPC), and the Carolina Community Network (Grant No. 3U54153602-04S1).
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Haynes-Maslow, L., Allicock, M. & Johnson, LS. Peer support preferences among African-American breast cancer survivors and caregivers. Support Care Cancer 25, 1511–1517 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3550-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3550-2