Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.
Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 25;19(1):205. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010205.
Rural Appalachian Kentucky experiences disproportionately high cancer incidence and mortality rates. This cancer burden is due to social determinants of health and cultural factors prominent in the region. The firsthand experiences of community members-especially young people-can highlight these factors and identify areas for improvement. The purpose of this study was to encourage Appalachian Kentucky youth to consider determinants of cancer and visualize the effects that cancer has on their families or communities by asking them to take photographs of cancer-related objects around them. Content analysis was performed on 238 photographs submitted by 25 students, and photographs were organized into themes, subthemes, and subtopics. The six themes that emerged were risk factors and exposures, marketing, awareness and support, health care, experiences, and metaphorical representations. Many of the submitted photographs aligned with cultural, environmental and/or situational factors prevalent in Appalachian Kentucky. Of the submitted photographs, 54 were displayed as an installment in two Kentucky art galleries. Viewer comments at the exhibitions demonstrated that young community members can educate and motivate change in those around them. Ultimately, this project demonstrates that young community members can recognize cancer-related issues around them and connect personal experiences back to the larger Appalachian Kentucky cancer disparity while also having an impact on other community members.
肯塔基州阿巴拉契亚农村地区的癌症发病率和死亡率高得不成比例。这种癌症负担是由于健康的社会决定因素和该地区突出的文化因素造成的。社区成员的第一手经验——尤其是年轻人——可以突出这些因素，并确定需要改进的领域。本研究的目的是鼓励肯塔基州阿巴拉契亚地区的年轻人考虑癌症的决定因素，并通过让他们拍摄周围与癌症相关的物体的照片，了解癌症对他们的家庭或社区的影响。对 25 名学生提交的 238 张照片进行了内容分析，照片被组织成主题、子主题和副标题。出现的六个主题是危险因素和暴露、营销、意识和支持、医疗保健、经验和隐喻性表达。许多提交的照片与阿巴拉契亚肯塔基州普遍存在的文化、环境和/或情境因素一致。在提交的照片中，有 54 张照片作为两个肯塔基艺术画廊的一部分展出。展览上的观众评论表明，年轻的社区成员可以教育和激励周围的人做出改变。最终，该项目表明，年轻的社区成员能够认识到他们周围与癌症相关的问题，并将个人经验与更大的阿巴拉契亚肯塔基州癌症差距联系起来，同时也对其他社区成员产生影响。
