The goal of the proposed feasibility study is to develop and pilot-test a psychoeducational, skill-building, and tailored intervention designed to increase the quality of life (QOL), to include the dimensions of well-being and productivity, of low-income female family members who are providing socioemotional and/or financial support to a cancer survivor relative who has either cervical or breast cancer. The majority of the research participants will be Hispanic. The study will be conducted in two phases (Total N=48). Phase 1 is exploratory and will be carried out through 2 focus group interviews, each with 9 adult female family members who identify as providing their cancer survivor relatives with primary socioemotional and/or financial support in their cancer experience (Phase 1, N=18 families represented). The purpose of Phase 1 is to serve as an assessment of educational information and skill need for finalizing the components and procedures of the Phase 2 intervention. Phase 2 uses a repeated measures quasi-experimental design and uses data from Phase 1 to refine the intervention. The intervention is proposed to be six-weeks in duration, with face-to-face meetings once a week for 2 hours. The skills-building component will emphasize in-group role play/skill practice as well as out-of-group """"""""Give it a Try"""""""" skill practice. Research participants (Phase 2, N=30) will be randomly assigned to the Phase 2 intervention, or to an information-only, wait-list control group. Outcome data will be both quantitative and qualitative. The study considers socioeconomic status (SES) to be a critical common denominator in the proposed intervention, with the feasibility to be determined of outreach based on SES, yet with intervention appropriate across the cultures of the research participants. Relevance to Public Health: This research addresses the significant public health issue of cancer-related health disparities experienced by traditionally medically underserved communities through introducing an educational and skill-building intervention tailored to low-income female caregivers of women with cervical or breast cancer. The intervention to be tested will assist the caregivers in accessing and utilizing social support, community services, employment rights and health-care system resources. Cancer affects all families and the proposed research seeks to address disparities in access that exist across race and ethnicity for low SES families. ? ? ? ?
