Community-based participatory research: Understanding how women of the Global Majority cope with cancer.

BACKGROUND-AIM: Women of the Global Majority are underrepresented in health and social care research studies (Farooqi et al., 2022). In this presentation, we provide an overview of how we are employing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to study the psychospiritual needs of women who have historically been marginalized.

METHODS: In Study 1, we present the results of a mixed methods study (N5130) that addresses the protective function of voluntary solitude experiences in relation to feminine role imperatives and chronic illness. Participants completed an online survey that included questions about their engagement in self-stewardship activities and psychological wellbeing. In Study 2, we describe the CBPR model that we have developed to identify the unmet needs of Black women residing in low income and nature-deprived areas of Boston, MA.

RESULTS: We found that voluntary solitude experiences play an important role in women’s lives. These experiences contributed to women feeling empowered, whole, and self-reliant. Time in nature was an essential feature of women’s experiences. Solitude empowerment was positively correlated with feelings of worthiness, self-efficacy, and a sense of connection with nature, and negatively correlated with self-silencing, loneliness, and an intolerance of uncertainty. However, we were unable to address the specific needs of Black women in this study due to low enrollment numbers. The purpose of Study 2 is to address this limitation.

CONCLUSIONS: Additional research is needed on how Women of the Global Majority cope under conditions of extreme adversity. In this paper, we describe the use of CBPR to address the specific needs of Black women who are living with cancer. We provide information on how researchers may engage community leaders in the design of psycho-oncological studies, and discuss the importance of studying solitude empowerment from an inclusive, social justice perspective.