Responses to behaviorally vs culturally tailored cancer communication among African American women

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether tailored cancer communication for African American women can be enhanced by tailoring on 4 sociocultural constructs: religiosity, collectivism, racial pride, and time orientation.

Methods: In a randomized trial, participants (n=1,227) received a women's health magazine tailored using behavioral construct tailoring (BCT), culturally relevant tailoring (CRT), or both (COMBINED). Two follow-up interviews assessed responses to the magazines.

Results: Responses to all magazines were positive. The health focus of the magazines was initially obscured in the CRT condition, but this disappeared over time, and CRT magazines were better liked.

Conclusions: Implications for developing and understanding effects of tailored cancer communication are discussed.