A Culturally Congruent Psychosocial Intervention for Latino Caregivers of Children with Cancer: Intervention Development

Background: Cancer health disparities among Latinos in the United States are pervasive and manifest in higher morbidity and mortality among pediatric cancer patients and their parents/caregivers. There is a need to engage in culturally congruent approaches to develop interventions that effectively mitigate cancer health disparities among Latino caregivers. Aims: The purpose of this manuscript is to present the methodological process of adopting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to develop a culturally congruent intervention to address psychosocial cancer health disparities in Spanish-speaking Latino families impacted by childhood cancer. Materials and Methods: We established two partnerships with Spanish-speaking parents of children previously treated for cancer and whose children were currently undergoing cancer treatment to collaboratively identify psychosocial intervention targets. A total of 22 meetings were held with community collaborators (n = 13) that followed CBPR principles. All meetings were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded using an inductive approach. Results: The intervention framework identified three psychosocial outcomes: caregiver health literacy, culturally congruent care, and emotional well-being. A 12-session intervention addressing the three outcomes was developed integrating cultural values and bilingual and bicultural community and healthcare providers. Conclusions: A CBPR approach was adopted to address disparities in quality of life in Spanish-speaking caregivers of children with cancer, which resulted in a multicomponent intervention that addresses the informational, practical, and psychosocial needs of Latino caregivers. The intervention can help mitigate disparities in well-being for Latino families impacted by childhood cancer by incorporating culturally relevant strategies to optimize health.