Cancer prevention information-seeking among hispanic and non-hispanic users of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service: Trends in telephone and LiveHelp use

Evidence-based strategies to enable, encourage, and support cancer prevention information seeking among Hispanic populations are needed. We examined cancer prevention information requests to the Cancer Information Service (CIS) via telephone (1-800-4-CANCER toll-free telephone information service) and LiveHelp (an instant messaging service provided in English only) from 2003 to 2006. We summarized differences in the communication channel utilized by ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic) and, among Hispanic information seekers, the language used during the contact (English vs. Spanish). Utilization of LiveHelp was higher among non-Hispanic than Hispanic seekers of cancer prevention information. LiveHelp use for seeking cancer prevention information increased between 2003 and 2006 for both groups, but the increase was greater among non-Hispanics than Hispanics. Nearly half of Hispanics who sought cancer prevention information did so in Spanish. Because LiveHelp is not available in Spanish, the number of Spanish-only speakers who preferred to contact CIS via LiveHelp instead of telephone is unknown. When communicating cancer prevention information via multiple channels, it is important to consider differences in access to communication technologies and preferred communication channels among ethnic minority groups.