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Hoarding behaviour sometimes requires intervention from community agencies to reduce risks to residents and the nearby community. Human services professionals from a wide range of disciplines are called upon to address hoarding concerns, often in collaboration with each other. No guidelines currently exist to guide staff from those community agencies in a shared understanding of common health and safety risks that occur with severe hoarding behaviour. Using a modified Delphi method, we aimed to generate consensus among a panel of 34 service-provider experts from a range of disciplines on essential risks in the home that would require intervention for health or safety reasons. This process identified 31 environmental risk factors that experts agreed are critical to assess in cases of hoarding. Panelist comments outlined the debates that commonly occur in the field, the complexity of hoarding, and the difficulty with conceptualizing risks in the home. The multi-disciplinary consensus achieved on these risks will facilitate better collaboration between agencies by providing a minimum standard of what to evaluate in hoarded homes to ensure health and safety standards are being met. This can improve communication between agencies, specify the core hazards that should be incorporated into training for professionals who work with hoarding, and facilitate more standardized assessment of health and safety risks in hoarded homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many patients have a rudimentary knowledge of their body's anatomy and functioning. In a clinical setting, deficits in patient understanding can lead to miscommunication affecting patient care and satisfaction. Hence, this study aims to estimate a baseline of patient knowledge regarding pelvic anatomy and to assess their educational preferences in learning about related topics. For this cross-sectional study, we developed a 24-item assessment with questions related to pelvic anatomy, health, and function. The questionnaire was validated using feedback from anonymous community focus groups, and then distributed to English-speaking female patients at the Women's Clinic of LAC + USC Medical Center (Los Angeles). The participant performance as a percentage-correct score on the anatomy assessment constituted our primary outcome. As secondary outcomes, educational preferences were inquired. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-sample t tests. The majority of our total sample of 269 were Hispanic (65.4 %) with a mean age of 35.3 years. We documented deficits in patient knowledge with a mean score of 66.1 % correct on anatomy assessment. Statistically significant lower scores were associated with less education and with Hispanic/Latino origin. Additionally, we found that while physicians have played a role in health education, women prefer to receive more education from their providers in the future. The deficits we identified indicate the pressing need to improve the pelvic health literacy of our patients. Understanding what our patients know and want to know is critical to effective communication and is fundamental to providing better clinical care in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a dearth of reports that examine the effect of immigration status on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. While intention to be vaccinated has been higher among adults in immigrant families than non-immigrant adults, uptake of the vaccine has been lower among immigrants and especially those who are undocumented. Concerns raised by immigrants usually centered on the lack of access to information, language barriers, conflicts between work and clinic hours, and fears over their precarious status in the U.S. To perform a rapid review, our time frame was December 2020 through August 2021. Our search strategy used the PUBMED and Google search engines with a prescribed set of definitions and search terms for two reasons: there were limited peer-reviewed studies during the early period of roll-out and real-time perspectives were crucially needed. Strategies used to promote equity include the use of trusted leaders as well as direct communication styles. Other strategies centered informational messaging from government agencies and the medical community, with a strong emphasis on coalescing broad engagement of the community and being responsive to language and cultural needs. In addition to communication and messaging to educate about COVID-19 vaccines, another important aspect of COVID-19 vaccine uptake was overcoming multiple obstacles that affect ease of access. This report suggests that vaccine uptake, and more generally pandemic response, in vulnerable communities may be better able to launch when they build on existing, trusted, culturally intelligent community-based organizations and local sociocultural processes. These organizations need continued support to contribute to population health equity in emerging health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review using structured and transparent methods was carried out to collect and review the qualitative literature investigating trust in crisis communication during emerging infectious diseases. Qualitative synthesis was conducted using a descriptive thematic analysis approach. The GRADE-CERQual assessment was used to determine the confidence in each thematic finding to support decisions when implementing review findings. Overall, 13 studies were included in the review, resulting in 10 thematic categories that describe characteristics associated with crisis communication information and sources of crisis communication that can enhance or maintain public trust. The results of this review suggest the public judges the trustworthiness of crisis communication based on the information characteristics, including consistency, repetition, and timeliness, and especially transparency and uncertainty. Public health is a trusted source of crisis communication when the presenting spokesperson is a health official, the information is not perceived as politicized, and is timely. Community leaders, such as family doctors, are also trusted sources of crisis communication, whereas media and government officials face distrust because of perceived sensationalized information, and defensiveness and unreliable information respectively. Qualitative data in this area is limited, especially involving the public and priority populations, and should be the focus of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore facilitators and barriers to developing and sustaining collaboration among New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Neighborhood Health Action Centers and co-located partners, who share information and decision-making through a Governance Council structure of representative members. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2018 with 43 Governance Council members across the three Action Centers of East Harlem (13), Tremont (15), and Brownsville (15), New York City. Governance Council members identified collaboration through information- and resource-sharing, consistent meetings and continuous communication as valuable for fostering a culture of health in their communities. Immediate benefits included building relationships, increased access to resources, and increased reach and access to community members. Challenges included difficulty building community trust, insufficient advertisement of services, and navigation of government bureaucracy. The Governance Councils forged collaborative relationships among local government, community-based organizations and clinical providers to improve health and well-being in their neighborhoods. Sharing space, resources and information is feasible with a movement towards shared leadership and decision-making. This may result in community-driven and tailored solutions to historical inequities. In shared leadership models, some internal reform by Government partners may be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a recent sexual assault, clients in rural and remote communities do not typically receive comprehensive services. They experience delays with staff shortages and unfamiliarity with procedures, negative responses to disclosure such as disbelief, and may be turned away or required to travel elsewhere away from their support systems. These experiences increase their risks for mental health disorders and chronic diseases, placing a significant burden on the client's health and on the community. A participatory action approach was used in five Canadian communities to find collaborative solutions to their challenges. Mixed methods were used to collect data on the impact of community identified interventions on knowledge, service quality and comfort in providing services. Interventions included support for multidisciplinary advisory teams, resource development, and education sessions for service providers. The Enhanced Emergency Sexual Assault Services (EESAS) education selected by communities provided trauma informed knowledge of collaborative and comprehensive services in their community. Both focus group and survey data demonstrated increased collaboration and shared knowledge, enhanced communication, and improved services such as provision of increased privacy for clients. Knowledge increased in all key areas of services and service quality. Limited data suggests the changes are sustained for at least 6 months post-training. The combined findings of qualitative and quantitative data support the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary community development program. The increased knowledge, comfort and teamwork have potential to improve services clients receive and therefore the health of both the individuals and the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community Health Advisors (CHAs) contribute to health promotion program effectiveness, but their role in faith-based programs is understudied, and little is known about their role performance or satisfaction. In a dissemination and implementation study, 19 CHAs were trained to provide healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA) program training to church committees. Of these, 17 CHAs trained 347 attendees from 115 churches. Thirteen CHAs remained for the 12-month period and provided telephone-based technical assistance (TA) to churches. To evaluate their experiences and satisfaction, CHAs completed questionnaires at baseline and 12 months. Staff observers and church committee members evaluated CHAs' effectiveness as trainers. There were no significant changes in the CHAs' own body mass index, PA, fruit and vegetable intake, or self-rated health but significant increases in their perceived knowledge of PA (p = 0.01) and HE (p = 0.02). CHAs reported high agreement regarding the quality of their training for the role and moderate volunteer satisfaction on average but thought that the time required of them was somewhat more than expected, though they were interested in volunteering for a future, similar role. Church committee members agreed with CHAs' effectiveness as trainers and the helpfulness of the TA calls. Staff observers rated CHAs' as having covered 87.8% of church training content and agreed that, on average, the CHAs were effective trainers. Assessing CHAs' availability, clear communication about the time requirements, and over-recruitment to offset attrition and decrease the workload may be needed to improve retention and support satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-engaged adaptations of evidence-based interventions are needed to improve cancer care delivery for low-income and minority populations with cancer. The objective of this study was to adapt an intervention to improve end-of-life cancer care delivery using a community–partnered approach. We used a two-step formative research process to adapt the evidence-based lay health workers educate engage and encourage patients to share (LEAPS) cancer care intervention. The first step involved obtaining a series of adaptations through focus groups with 15 patients, 12 caregivers, and 6 leaders and staff of the Unite Here Health (UHH) payer organization, and 12 primary care and oncology care providers. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. The second step involved finalization of adaptations from a community advisory board comprised of 4 patients, 2 caregivers, 4 oncology providers, 2 lay health workers and 4 UHH healthcare payer staff and executive leaders. Using this community-engaged approach, stakeholders identified critical barriers and solutions to intervention delivery which included: (1) expanding the intervention to ensure patient recruitment; (2) including caregivers; (3) regular communication between UHH staff, primary care and oncology providers; and (4) selecting outcomes that reflect patient-reported quality of life. This systematic and community-partnered approach to adapt an end-of-life cancer care intervention strengthened this existing intervention to promote the needs and preferences of patients, caregivers, providers, and healthcare payer leaders. This approach can be used to address cancer care delivery for low-income and minority patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand women's pre-abortion conversations with members of their social network about their abortion decision. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women presenting for first-trimester surgical abortion at a high volume, hospital-based abortion clinic. Women were asked their reasons for discussing or not discussing abortion and responses received after disclosing their abortion decision. Interviews were transcribed and computer-assisted content analysis was performed. Salient themes are presented. Thirty women who obtained an abortion were interviewed. All but three spoke to at least one member of their social network about their abortion decision making. However, women were very selective about whom they spoke to regarding this decision. Reasons not to discuss their abortion decision included: concerns about judgment, desiring to maintain privacy, and certainty about their decision. Reasons to discuss their abortion decision included: seeking information about the procedure, needing guidance about their decision, wanting support for their decision to proceed with abortion. While many were concerned about being judged, most women who spoke about their decision experienced a positive response. Though most women in this study had at least one person to turn to for assistance with abortion decision making, many participants avoided confiding in some or all members of their social network about their abortion decision due to concerns of judgment and stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication barriers between healthcare providers and patients contribute to health disparities and the effectiveness of health promotion messages. This is especially true regarding communication between providers and deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) patients due to lack of understanding of cultural and linguistic differences, ineffectiveness of various means of communication and level of health literacy within that population. This research aimed to identify American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters’ perceptions of barriers to effective communication between deaf and HOH patients and healthcare providers. We conducted a survey of ASL interpreters attending the 2015 National Symposium on Healthcare Interpreting with an overall response rate of 25%. Results indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) in all areas of preferred communication between providers and deaf/HOH patients as perceived by interpreters. ASL interpreters observed that patients did not understand provider instructions in nearly half of appointments. Eighty-one percent of interpreters said that providers “hardly ever” use “teach-back” methods with patients to ensure understanding. A focus on improving health care and health promotion efforts in the deaf/HOH community depends on improving communication, health literacy, and patient empowerment and involves holding health care organizations accountable for assuring adequate staffing of ASL interpreters and communication resources in order to reduce health disparities in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health advisors (CHAs) have been widely involved in health promotion, but few details on role expectations, retention, and evaluation have been reported. In a dissemination and implementation (D&I) study of an evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity program, 59 churches were randomized to an intervention (n = 39) or control (delayed intervention) (n = 20) condition. In a novel approach, CHAs worked with church committees rather than congregants by providing training (n = 59) and technical assistance (n = 54) to the committees to implement a program focused on structural and policy-level changes to support congregants’ behavioral changes. CHA training comprised self-study via electronic training modules, in-person training, and telephone-based training. Evaluation methods were pilot test participants’ and CHAs’ ratings of their training; observers’ ratings of CHAs’ church training delivery; church committee members’ ratings of the training experience, including CHAs’ performance; and data from the TA database to assess CHAs’ adherence to the protocol. The main challenge was the early dropout of one CHA and the reduced role of another. CHAs trained 142 intervention and 60 control church committee members in nine sessions; they covered 99% (intervention) and 90% (control) of training content, indicating high fidelity. Observers’ scored CHAs’ teaching and facilitation skills at 96.7% (intervention) and 80% (control) of the possible score. CHAs completed 92% of intervention and 93% of control TA calls. The great majority of church participants’ comments regarding CHAs were positive. This study demonstrates that with training and support, CHAs demonstrate high levels of intervention fidelity, confidence, and competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. Hispanics disproportionately show health burdens that may be decreased by discussing physical activity (PA) and healthy eating with their healthcare providers (HCPs). We examined the perceptions of both HCPs and low-income Hispanic patients regarding the dynamics of these communications. We surveyed 295 low-income Hispanic patients and interviewed 14 HCPs at three community health clinics. Patients were asked about their comfort level with HCPs, how often their HCP discussed PA and healthy eating, and the likelihood of following advice on PA and healthy eating. HCPs were asked about their delivery (frequency/duration) and perceived effectiveness in providing such advice. Patients reported feeling 'most comfortable' with their physicians (57%) with a lower proportion (19%) feeling 'most comfortable' with nurses. Nearly all patients (95%) reported being very likely to follow the advice of their physician. On average, HCPs (physicians and nurses) reported discussing PA and healthy eating with 85% and 80% of their patients, respectively. In contrast, a fewer proportion of patients (65.8%) reported that their physician discussed PA and healthy eating 'some' or 'a lot' of the time. Overall, physicians reported discussing PA and healthy eating for an average of 5 and 6 min, respectively; whereas nurses reported discussing PA and healthy eating for an average of 12 and 19 min, respectively. Further study on the content and delivery of conversations between HCPs and their low-income Hispanic patients regarding PA and healthy eating could be vital to optimally impact health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers (CHWs) can engage elderly persons in advance care planning (ACP) conversations. We report how trained CHWs used Go Wish cards ( GW cards) to identify patients' highest priority preferences and evaluated whether engaging in ACP conversations was associated with subsequent health care utilization. A one-year long, pre-post longitudinal design was used to evaluate our educational intervention using mixed-methods. 392 patients (mean of 73.3 years, 82% women, 48% African American, 43% Caucasian) enrolled in the Aging Brain Care (ABC) program and participated in ACP discussions with CHWs. We expanded the role of the ABC's CHW, who work directly with individuals and caregivers during home visits to monitor bio-psycho-social needs, to include ACP conversations. The CHWs received ACP training, practice with tools such as GW cards, and support from an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support tool. Quantitative measures of patients' ACP preferences and health care utilization were abstracted from the EHR. Qualitative data about patients' perceptions of CHWs in facilitating ACP discussions was obtained through semi-structured interviews. Eighty-six patients' data indicated that they had engaged in a preferences-for-care process using GW cards. The top-three card choices by patients was attending to spirituality and religious concerns, preparing for end of life, and maintaining personal wholeness. CHWs were able to effectively engage in ACP conversations with patients and GW cards were a positive way to stimulate discussion of issues previously undiscussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is often used alongside conventional medical care, yet few patients disclose CAM use to medical doctors. Our objectives were to (1) assess Latino herbal use, (2) explore the most commonly used herbs for common ailments, and (3) examine patients' disclosure of herb use to their physicians. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 318 Latino patients seeking treatment at community health centers. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of stated objectives among the participants. Fisher's exact test was used to compare differences among CAM users and non-users. Most respondents (90%) reported using herbs. Less than a third (31%) of those herb users felt comfortable speaking English to their physician. A majority (74.8%) of the respondents utilizing herbs reported never disclosing their herbal use to their healthcare providers, and of those that did, majority (63%) were under the age of 36 years. Of those that disclosed their herbal use, only 31% perceived receiving a positive reaction about herbal use from their providers. Chamomile, cinnamon, Aloe vera, spearmint, and key lime were the top used herbs in this population. Herbal use disclosure reflects a greater sense of trust and communication between patient and provider. Therefore, a need exists to increase provider competency for patients using herbs in order to improve consistency of care and facilitate healthy patients and communities, especially among Spanish-speaking Latinos in Southern California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth marijuana use is a growing concern with increasingly permissive views towards marijuana use. Little is known about attitudes and beliefs toward marijuana use among youth in the context of legalization. This study describes youth attitudes and beliefs about health risks associated with marijuana use, social norms of peer use, conversations with parents about marijuana use, and knowledge of recreational marijuana laws, using a venue-day-time sampling approach with diverse Colorado youth (n = 241) post-legalization. We considered demographic (gender, racial/ethnic and geographic) differences in knowledge of laws and perceptions of risk using bivariate and multivariate analyses. While many youth are knowledgeable about retail marijuana laws in Colorado, males were 2.12 times more likely to be familiar with laws compared to females. While 40 % of the sample perceived a moderate to high risk from weekly marijuana consumption and 57 % from daily consumption, fewer males perceived these risks. Over ¾ of the sample indicate they discuss marijuana with parents, but many fewer indicate discussing consequences and health effects of use with parents. Results suggest opportunities for parents and clinicians to influence youth attitudes and behaviors towards marijuana use. It may be worthwhile to target educational campaigns to different demographic groups, and to offer training and capacity building for parents to discuss marijuana with their teenaged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early recognition of acute myocardial infarction (MI), followed by prompt emergency care, improves patient outcomes. Among rural American Indian (AI) populations there are disparities in access to care for MI and processes of care, resulting in poor MI-related health outcomes compared to the general population. We sought to gain an understanding of barriers related to MI time-to-treatment delays using a qualitative approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with AI key informants and community members in three Indian Health Service regions. Major barriers to care included long travel distance to care and lack of supporting infrastructure; distrust of the health care system; low overall literacy and basic health literacy; priority of family care-giving; and lack of specialized medical facilities and specialists. Findings suggest that improved time-to-treatment facilitators include educating the local community about the causes and consequences of MI and culturally-sensitive health communication, as well as addressing the quality of local systems of care and the community's perception of these systems. Pursuing these strategies may improve quality of care and reduce MI-related morbidity and mortality in rural AI populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hispanic Americans are less likely to be insured and they experience cultural and linguistic barriers that may prevent them from obtaining necessary and preventive healthcare. Adoption of Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) concepts in healthcare settings utilized by Hispanics could improve Hispanic patients' satisfaction with their healthcare providers. This study examined the association between Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking patients' perceptions of PCMH characteristics and satisfaction with the provider. Data were collected using a self-administered survey from two unaffiliated free clinics. Logistic regression modeled the associations between patients' perceptions of PCMH and their satisfaction with their provider, and their desire to see the same provider in the future. The sample consisted of 367 adults; 44 % were Spanish-speaking. Spanish-speaking patients were younger, less educated, and had fewer chronic conditions than non-Spanish-speaking patients. In adjusted analyses for each population, better ratings of the provider's communication skills were associated with increased satisfaction with the provider (Spanish-speaking: OR = 8.33, 95 % CI = 2.19-31.76; non-Spanish-speaking: OR = 31.39, 95 % CI = 6.91-142.62), and willingness to see the provider again (Spanish-speaking: OR = 12.54, 95 % CI = 2.80-56.24; non-Spanish-speaking: OR = 8.77, 95 % CI = 2.40-31.96). Among Spanish-speakers, lower perceived discrimination was associated with 137 % increased odds and higher perceived staff helpfulness had 212 % increased odds of seeing the provider again. Relative to other PCMH components, interpersonal skills were the most important factors in patient satisfaction with free clinics. Increased training for clinicians on cultural competence and clinician-patient communication may lead to improved patient satisfaction for both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers seen at free clinics, particularly clinics in states without Medicaid expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older Chinese immigrants are a growing population in the United States who experience multiple healthcare communication barriers such as limited English proficiency and low health literacy. Each of these obstacles has been associated with poor health outcomes but less is known about their effects in combination. This study examined the association between healthcare communication barriers and self-rated health among older Chinese immigrants. Cross-sectional survey data were obtained from 705 Chinese American immigrants ages 50-75 living in San Francisco, California. Communication barriers examined included spoken English proficiency, medical interpreter needs, and health literacy in written health information. The study sample (81 % females, mean age = 62) included 67 % who spoke English poorly or not at all, 34 % who reported needing a medical interpreter, and 37 % who reported 'often' or 'always' needing assistance to read health information. Two-thirds reported poor self-rated health; many reported having access to racial-concordant (74 %) and language-concordant (86 %) healthcare services. Both poor spoken English proficiency and low health literacy were associated with poor self-rated health, independent of other significant correlates (unemployment, chronic health conditions, and having a primary doctor who was ethnic Chinese). Results revealed that spoken English proficiency and print health literacy are independent communication barriers that are directly associated with health status among elderly Chinese American immigrants. Access to racial- or language-concordant health care services did not appear to resolve these barriers. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both spoken and written healthcare communication needs among older Chinese American immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of social media as a powerful health communication tool is an area of current research interest. Our objective was to describe use of Facebook by State Health Departments (SHDs) in US, and their relationship with CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Facebook pages of 34 SHDs were studied over a 200 day period, coding 2597 posts into 19 broad health communication categories. Mean number of Facebook posts per SHD was 76.4 (range 34-133); most frequent topic areas included healthy living (12 %), communicable diseases (9 %), vaccines and immunization (7 %), emergency preparedness and response (7 %), infant and child health (5 %), smoking and tobacco use (5 %), and miscellaneous (32 %). Through web-based interactive graphics (Google motion charts), we contrasted Facebook posts with CDC's BRFSS data on adult nutrition and physical activity, vaccination, smoking, adolescent health and road traffic accidents. Our research finds an apparent disconnect between content provided on Facebook by SHDs and the health conditions that affect their populations. Acknowledging the severe limitations in funding and human resources faced by the SHDs, our research attempts to present the factual situation in embracing a vastly popular social media platform for health communication. We believe there is a need for research exploring methods to balance the demands and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine among college women acquired breast cancer prevention information-seeking, desired apps and texts, and information given to mothers. Using a cross-sectional study, a survey was administered to college women at a southwestern university. College women (n = 546) used the Internet (44 %) for active breast cancer prevention information-seeking and used the Internet (74 %), magazines (69 %), and television (59 %) for passive information receipt. Over half of the participants desired breast cancer prevention apps (54 %) and texts (51 %). Logistic regression analyses revealed predictors for interest to receive apps were ethnicity (Hispanic), lower self-efficacy, actively seeking online information, and older age and predictors for interest to receive texts were lower self-efficacy and higher university level. Eighteen percent of college women (n = 99) reported giving information to mothers and reported in an open-ended item the types of information given to mothers. Predictors for giving information to mothers were actively and passively seeking online information, breast self-exam practice, and higher university level. Screenings were the most frequent types of information given to mothers. Breast cancer prevention information using apps, texts, or Internet and daughter-initiated information for mothers should be considered in health promotion targeting college students or young women in communities. Future research is needed to examine the quality of apps, texts, and online information and cultural differences for breast cancer prevention sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the breast cancer prevention information seeking behaviors among rural women, the prevalence of Internet, cell, and text use, and interest to receive breast cancer prevention information cell and text messages. While growing literature for breast cancer information sources supports the use of the Internet, little is known about breast cancer prevention information seeking behaviors among rural women and mobile technology. Using a cross-sectional study design, data were collected using a survey. McGuire's Input-Ouput Model was used as the framework. Self-reported data were obtained from a convenience sample of 157 women with a mean age of 60 (SD = 12.12) at a rural New Mexico imaging center. Common interpersonal information sources were doctors, nurses, and friends and common channel information sources were television, magazines, and Internet. Overall, 87 % used cell phones, 20 % had an interest to receive cell phone breast cancer prevention messages, 47 % used text messaging, 36 % had an interest to receive text breast cancer prevention messages, and 37 % had an interest to receive mammogram reminder text messages. Bivariate analysis revealed significant differences between age, income, and race/ethnicity and use of cell phones or text messaging. There were no differences between age and receiving text messages or text mammogram reminders. Assessment of health information seeking behaviors is important for community health educators to target populations for program development. Future research may identify additional socio-cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]