Friedman, D.B. & Hoffman-Goetz, L. (2006)

'Assessment of Cultural Sensitivity of Cancer Information in Ethnic Print Media' from the Journal of Health Communication, 11, 425-447

EBSCOhost database: Document ID: 1081-0730

Daniela B. Friedman is currently an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina in the department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. In 2000, she received her BS in Biology and Psychology at McMaster University, in 2002, she received her MS in Health Studies and Gerontology from the University of Waterloo. Four years later, she became a certified teacher, and earned a PhD from the University of Waterloo. Her areas of interest include health and cancer communication with diverse populations, healthy aging and gerontology, literacy and understanding of health risks, and the effects on social media and technology on health knowledge and behaviors.

Laurie Hoffman-Goetz is currently a professor at the University of Waterloo in the department of Health Studies. She has received her BA from S.U.N.Y. At Binghamton, MA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M.P.H. From the George Washington University, PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Harvard Medical School, Cancer Prevention Fellow from National Cancer Institute, and Certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation from Conrad Grebel University College. Her areas of interest include disease processes, stress and behavioral immunology, cancer prevention, health communication, and public health.

In the United States, ethnic minorities have a higher mortality rate from cancer in comparison to the general population (National Care Institute, 2004). “Ethnicity is a significant predictor of the stage at which cancer is diagnosed, with increased rates of later-stage cancers among ethnic minorities due to decreased screening rates, and lack of cancer knowledge and appropriate resources” (Arbes et al., 1999; Bennett et al., 1998; Hoffman et al., 2001). The lack of sufficient knowledge of cancer screenings is correlated with less education and low levels of acclimatization. The rise of cancer in ethnic communities results from socioeconomic restrictions such as discrimination, lack of health insurance, limited access to health care facilities, and no relations with health information. There are also various factors that act as obstacles for minorities seeking cancer information or resources that may include privacy issues, cultural and social stigmas, high levels of spiritual faith, and traditional healing remedies.

Ethnic minority groups prefer to receive information about cancer that is relatable and respectful of their customs and beliefs towards certain health issues and illnesses. The majority of these groups receive this information through community newspapers. Friedman and Hoffman-Goetz purpose evaluate the cultural sensitivity of cancer information within print media that is designated towards ethnic minority readership.

In 2000, Friedman and Hoffman-Goetz conducted a study by assessing cultural sensitivity in 27 cancer Canadian articles published in English-language ethnic newspapers; directed towards Jewish Canadians, Blacks and Caribbean natives, First Nations, and East Indians. The sensitivity was tested using the Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool (CSAT). The CSAT evaluates three aspects of print materials: (1) format (organization, font, and print size); (2) the written message (comprehension of and awareness of cancer terminology and ethnic-specific verbalization); (3) visual presentation (photographs, symbols). The test uses a Likert-scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree).

A score lower than 2.50 is classified as culturally insensitive. After collecting and analyzing the data, the overall average CSAT score (of the twenty-seven articles) was 2.71. The newspaper with articles receiving highest score (2.86) was found in First Nations, followed by Black/Caribbean (2.79), Jewish (2.78), and the lowest score (2.30) in East Indian newspapers. The Jewish newspapers discussed breast cancer more than any other form, while the First Nation and Black/Caribbean newspapers focused mainly on lymphoma or leukemia. The East Indian newspapers did not discuss specific caner types but acknowledged cancer-related issues.

In my opinion, there were one too many limitations on the study. First, only English newspapers were included in the analysis, which may not have precisely captured if they had been translated from the native language. For example, there are between 53 and 70 Canadian languages. Second, only 27 articles were examined for the entire 2000 year. Information in newspapers from previous years may have resulted in different data. Overall, Friedman and Hoffman-Goetz were seemingly pleased with the results; finding that using the CSAT tool, overall, cancer articles in ethnic newspapers used for this study were culturally sensitive. (Edited by Precious Wheat)