Development of a Digital Storytelling Intervention to Increase Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening in the Hispanic/Latino Community: a Qualitative Evaluation
Minnesota (MN) is home to over 300,000 Hispanic/Latino people [1]. Due to structural and systematic barriers, this population experiences cancer screening disparities [2]. In 2020, among eligible Minnesotans, only 56% of Hispanic/Latino (vs. 74% non-Hispanic White) women had a mammogram [3] and 73% of Hispanic/Latino women (vs. 79% non-Hispanic White) completed cervical cancer screening [4].
In MN from 2015 to 2019, only 57% of the eligible Hispanic/Latinos (vs. 78% non-Hispanic Whites) were screened for colorectal cancer [5]. Additionally, Hispanics/Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancers [2]. Innovative strategies are needed to address the inequitable burden of cancer mortality on the Hispanic/Latino community in MN.
Culturally tailored interventions are needed to address cancer screening disparities [6, 7]. One potential solution is using digital storytelling (DST) [8]. Digital stories are narrative-based videos created by individuals who are often on the margins. In a DST workshop, storytellers write their narratives, select images and sounds, edit, and record their digital stories. The product is a 2–5-min audiovisual story with still images and voice-over narration [9].
In DST, the individuals impacted by the theme are central to knowledge production [10]. To expand on this process, with participants’ permission, researchers can use digital stories as a separate health promotion intervention [11, 12]. These stories can be a catalyst for change by inspiring viewers with similar life experience to change behaviors and/or attitudes [13–15].