OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN DESIGNING CANCER CONTROL COMMUNICATION-RESEARCH FOR FARMWORKERS ON THE DELMARVA PENINSULA

Little is known about the incidence of cancer among farmworker populat ions or about effective strategies for communicating with farmworkers about cancer prevention. Some studies suggest that farmworkers may hav e unusually high incidences of skin and cervical cancers. With these t wo cancers as the focus, a group of interviewers, researchers, and hea lth communication specialists set out to create, implement, and evalua te a cancer control demonstration project geared to toward farmworkers . In 1994, a situation analysis was conducted to identify constraints and opportunities for providing farmworkers with cancer control inform ation and services. The situation analysis provided valuable informati on to aid in developing intervention and evaluation strategies. This p aper outlines how and why the situation analysis was conducted and wha t was learned with regard to the farmworker population on the Delmarva Peninsula. Living conditions and the local availability of cancer con trol services are described. Obstacles to conducting research and inte rventions with farmworkers are highlighted. Based on what tons learned , recommendations are made for designing cancer control research and i ntervention for farmworkers.