Development of a family intervention for Native Hawaiian women with cancer: a pilot study

Native Hawaiian women have high cancer rates and low survival rates. As with other women, a major source of support for Native Hawaiian women is their families. This pilot study reports on the feasibility of providing and measuring a culturally appropriate intervention designed to help Native Hawaiian women and their families deal with cancer. The feasibility evaluation indicated that a major strength of the intervention was its incorporation of Hawaiian values and practices, and a major limitation reflected the difficulties in recruiting Native Hawaiians for research studies. Despite the small sample size, the six Native Hawaiian women and their 10 family members in the intervention group showed improved self-efficacy and coping when compared with the four Native Hawaiian women and their eight family members in the control group. Pilot study data established the feasibility and potential effectiveness of this culturally tailored intervention for Native Hawaiians, and feasibility findings will be useful in designing follow-up studies. Steps taken to incorporate cultural values into an intervention also provide a model for other social workers in developing culturally appropriate interventions for minority populations.