Important considerations for recruiting women to cancer genetics studies in Puerto Rico.

A goal of the Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership between the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Florida is to provide cross-cultural training in cancer research. This is achieved through a collaborative summer exchange program, which provides US students with an opportunity to conduct research in Puerto Rico. As part of this program, students recruited participants and collected data for a study to enhance the understanding of sociocultural factors among Puerto Rican women regarding genetic testing for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. Limited studies have examined cancer genetics issues among Latinos, particularly those specific to the various Latino subgroups, such as Puerto Ricans. As a result of the student training experience, culturally appropriate strategies for the recruitment of women in Puerto Rico have been identified. These recommendations can inform the design of cancer research projects and interventions targeting the Puerto Rican population.

Prevalence of childhood trauma among U.S. Army soldiers with suicidal behavior.

In 2009, suicide was reported to be the third leading cause of death among U.S. Army personnel. The increase of suicides in the Army indicates the need for additional research to better understand the problem. Research in civilian populations found that experiencing childhood trauma increases the risk for various negative health outcomes, including suicide and suicide attempts, during adulthood. To date, there has been very little focus on pre-existing mental health before joining the service because of a lack of existing data. Participants were active duty Army Soldiers who attempted or completed suicide as identified by the Department of Defense Suicide Event Report. Among Soldiers exhibiting suicidal behavior, analyses were completed to identify significant associations with specific types of childhood trauma experienced before joining the Army. The prevalence of childhood trauma in this population was 43.3% among the suicide cases and 64.7% among the attempt cases. The most common types of childhood trauma among Soldiers were family problems and abuse. The need for further research among military populations is clear given the high prevalence of childhood trauma found among these Soldiers with suicidal behavior and the lack of complete data for this population.

A pilot study of knowledge and interest of genetic counseling and testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome among Puerto Rican women.

This study explored baseline levels of knowledge and attitude toward genetic testing (GT) for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among Puerto Rican women. A secondary aim was to evaluate whether these factors differed between respondents in Puerto Rico and Tampa. Puerto Rican women with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer who live in Puerto Rico (n = 25) and Tampa (n = 20) were interviewed. Both groups were interested in obtaining GT; women living in Puerto Rico were more likely to report they would get GT within 6 months (p = 0.005). The most commonly cited barrier was cost; the most commonly cited facilitator was provider recommendation. There was no difference in overall knowledge between Tampa (M = 5.15, SD = 1.63) and Puerto Rico (M = 5.00, SD = 1.87) participants (p = 0.78). Involving health care providers in recruitment and highlighting that GT may be available at minimal or no cost in the USA and Puerto Rico may facilitate participation.