Appropriateness of Hispanic print materials: a content analysis

Hispanic women living in the US have a higher rate of later-stage diagnosis of breast cancer, thereby decreasing their chances of surviving the disease. Research shows print materials are more heavily relied on than any other medium to inform this population about early detection and treatment of the disease. Hispanics, moreover, are more likely to read English at below the fourth-grade level than the general US population and have a lower educational attainment than that of non-Hispanic whites. This paper discusses the results of a content analysis of 26 national print breast cancer educational artifacts distributed to Hispanic women. The purpose was to assess the linguistic appropriateness and cultural sensitivity of the materials in efforts to establish preliminary guidelines for the development of future materials. The author concluded that though many of the artifacts displayed elements of cultural competency, all 26 failed to include components essential to reaching and impacting the designated target audience. Even more significant was a survey of health clinics nationwide that determined the 26 print materials as the most heavily relied upon to provide Hispanic women with information on breast cancer.