ASPO Abstracts
Learning about community health first-hand in underserved rural areas of New Mexico: A Field Experience Approach
Category: Cancer Health Disparities
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Purpose
The Partnership between New Mexico State University and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center developed a Health Disparities Field Experience (HDFE) to provide experiential learning
about cancer health disparities in the New Mexico border region and Navajo Country. Six
graduate students provided pre- and post-test information about knowledge, attitudes, and
intended practices about the field experience.
Methods
The six students spent one week doing online coursework, then traveled along the New
Mexico-Mexico border and the Navajo Nation visiting rural health clinics and hospitals. A pre-
test asked four questions about attitudes toward the US health system, two knowledge
questions about cancer health disparities, and a question about intent to enter a health
disparities career. A post-test asked the same questions, and also asked qualitative questions
about the impact of the experience.
Results
The respondents showed virtually no difference in attitudes over time. Knowledge was
improved from 3.6 to 4.0 on a 5 point scale (where 5 was the highest knowledge level). There
was no change in intent to go into a health disparities career (2.2 on a 5 point scale where 1
was the highest level). There was an increase in understanding health disparities from a non-
coursework perspective from 3.0 to 2.0 (on a 5-point scale where 1 was the highest increase).
Post-test qualitative responses indicated that three of the participants saw racism as a primary
cause of cancer-related disparities, which was a change from their pre-test. When asked about
the personal impact of the HDFE, respondents selected the experiential component; as one
participant noted, "it's one thing to read about communities in journals and publications and to
learn about them in a classroom setting. However, it's another to be able to interact with
community members and better understand their experiences from their perspectives."
Conclusions
Participants learned about health disparities from the HDFE and expressed high satisfaction
with this approach to education.
Keywords: Cancer health disparities, experiential learning