How Latino Community Leaders Talk About Death, Dying, and Cancer

Abstract

Advanced cancer is the leading cause of death among Latino people in the U.S., but it has been shown that early integration of end-of-life (EOL) care can improve health outcomes and patient comfort measures. In order to integrate EOL care into rural Latino communities, where it is often lacking, it is imperative to understand traditional views towards death, dying, and cancer. The purpose of this study was to better understand the sociocultural factors related to talking about death, dying, and cancer from the perspectives of Latino community leaders. This qualitative descriptive research study was a part of a larger participatory action research study that aimed to learn traditional views of death and cancer. Three Focus groups were conducted with Latino community leaders from four counties in eastern North Carolina. Data was then transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Thematic analysis revealed two themes: Talk is (Sometimes) Taboo and Analogies Assist with Conversations. Findings reveal traditional sociocultural views about death, dying, and cancer. Findings also reveal the unique difficulties that accompany discussing death and the diagnosis of cancer for Latinos. This study signifies that understanding traditional views towards death and dying is an important step in bridging the gap to provide EOL care to underserved Latino communities.