Four Kinds of Hard: An Understanding of Cancer and Death among Latino Community Leaders

Early integration of palliative care after a diagnosis of cancer improves outcomes, yet such care for Latino populations is lacking in rural regions of the United States. We used a participatory action research design with Latino community leaders from emerging immigrant communities in North Carolin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global qualitative nursing research 2021, Vol.8, p.23333936211003557-23333936211003557
Main Authors: Larson, Kim L., Mathews, Holly F., Moye, Janet P., Congema, Marianne R., Hoffman, Sarah J., Murrieta, Karla M., Johnson, Lee Ann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Community
Cultural values
Death & dying
Hispanic Americans
Palliative care
Qualitative research
Single-Method
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Summary:Early integration of palliative care after a diagnosis of cancer improves outcomes, yet such care for Latino populations is lacking in rural regions of the United States. We used a participatory action research design with Latino community leaders from emerging immigrant communities in North Carolina to explore sociocultural perspectives on cancer and death. Thematic analysis was conceptualized as Four Kinds of Hard represented by four themes: Receiving an Eviction Notice, Getting in the Good Book, Talking is (Sometimes) Taboo, and Seeing Their Pain Makes us Suffer. These themes captured fears of deportation, coping with cancer through faithfulness, ambivalence about advance care planning, and a desire to spare families from suffering. Findings suggest strategies to improve conversations about end-of-life wishes when facing advanced illness and death. This study demonstrates the importance of training Latino community leaders to improve palliative care and bridge service gaps for Latino families living in emerging rural communities.
ISSN:2333-3936
2333-3936
DOI:10.1177/23333936211003557