Participatory development of a cervical health brochure for Apsaalooke women

Background. One challenge for eliminating health disparities is increasing the cultural sensitivity of educational systems including printed educational materials. These materials can be effective in changing health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Participatory community-based processes are vital in creating culturally sensitive interventions. Methods. We held community meetings in 4 communities on the Apsaalooke Reservation. We gave women examples of cervical health pamphlets and held modified focus groups to gather information on womens' preferences. Results. Women provided detailed feedback and we developed an Apsaalooke-specific educational pamphlet. Conclusion. These results support a participatory process for overall project guidance.