Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, with a high survival rate (89%). However, chronic pain, a distressing side effect, significantly impacts the quality of life of survivors, particularly among Latina women whose cultural beliefs and contexts influence their well-being and contribute to health disparities. In Quebec, where Latinos represent 11% of the immigrant population, little research has explored their experiences of cancer-related pain. My project aims to examine these experiences during disease management and survivorship to promote equitable, inclusive, and culturally adapted care. Methods: This project adopts an innovative qualitative approach using photo-elicitation combined with interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Photo-elicitation offers several significant advantages for this population: Giving participants a voice, Encouraging reflection and awareness, and, Creating a visual and empathetic dialogue. We will recruit 10 to 15 Latino adults living in Quebec through specialized clinics and support groups active on social media. Each participant will engage in three semi-structured interviews spaced three weeks apart: First interview: Exploring general experiences of cancer-related pain and introducing the photo-elicitation method with an explanation of the photographic task. Second interview: Discussing the photographs taken by participants, exploring their personal and cultural significance. Third interview: Member-checking to ensure an accurate representation of experiences. We will perform an inductive data analysis based on the principles of phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography. These philosophical frameworks enable an in-depth examination of pain's subjective dimensions while considering sociocultural and contextual factors. Including photographs enriches this analysis, offering a complementary visual and narrative perspective to explore interactions between culture, gender, and healthcare systems.