My ultimate objective is to conduct effective, independent research in cancer prevention and control, focusing on behavioral science applications for underserved populations, beginning with studying Hispanic cancer survivors. Specifically, I wish to develop and implement culturally specific exercise interventions that directly affect outcomes important in cancer prevention and control, including obesity, stress, and quality of life. Today, more then ever, there is a critical need to get more people to be more active for more of the time to help mediate the public health burden of unnecessary illness and premature death caused by a physically inactive society. Regular exercise is an important tertiary intervention for cancer survivors because it improves physical and emotional well-being and reduces the risk for second primary cancers. Unfortunately, survivors tend to become less physically active after diagnosis with most survivors never returning to their former levels of activity following treatment. One cancer associated with an increased risk from obesity and a sedentary lifestyle is endometrial cancer, which will be the target cancer survivor population initially studied. This NCI mentored career development award (K01) will give me the opportunity for new training in culturally competent behavioral theory while building upon my previous training in exercise interventions. My research proposal focuses on researching the differences in determinants of exercise adherence behaviors as explained by a Social Cognitive Theory-based model between Hispanic and non-Hispanic endometrial cancer survivors. The knowledge gained from this study can be the first step in the institution of culturally competent intervention studies for other Hispanic survivors and subsequently other underserved populations.
