Development of Culturally Tailored Educational Brochures on HPV and Pap Tests for American Indian Women

PURPOSE: Participatory formative research guided the creation of a culturally tailored educational brochure about human papillomavirus (HPV) at an American Indian women's clinic. METHOD: A review of existing educational materials and in-depth interviews were conducted. Nine steps for creating health communications messages that were patterned after National Cancer Institute guidelines guided the brochure development process. RESULTS: Of 95 women tested for HPV, 41% were positive, 32 (34%) agreed to the in-depth interview, and 9 agreed to the pretesting interview. Mean age was 41 years. Interviews revealed key themes concerning emotional reactions to abnormal Pap test results and HPV; need for basic information about HPV, Pap tests, and results; concerns about HPV stigma, sexual transmission, and communication with sexual partner; and the preferred source and format for HPV educational materials. A literature review revealed 12 areas of basic HPV content. CONCLUSIONS: A participatory process successfully engaged nursing staff and patients in creating culturally appropriate brochures for clinic use. IMPLICATIONS: This article provides specific steps for creating culturally tailored patient education materials.