This study explored cancer survivors’ health beliefs about oral anticancer medications (OAMs) and examined how these beliefs influence adherence-related decision-making, while identifying barriers and strategies to support cancer management. Twelve patients with cancer using OAMs, previously categorized into three health belief profiles, were interviewed virtually. Thematic analysis and theme mapping were used to examine the complexity of how survivors formed beliefs about cancer and OAM use. Survivors expressed diverse beliefs that shaped coping, adherence, and engagement with care. Three domains emerged: positive beliefs reinforcing trust in providers and treatment; negative beliefs focused on recurrence, side effects, and systemic barriers; and varied beliefs about OAMs influenced by information sources and support networks. Survivors’ health beliefs influenced adherence and coping, underscoring the need for tailored education, communication, and support. Personalized, profile-based interventions are essential to strengthen treatment confidence and guide patient-centered survivorship care.

Nearly half of cancer survivors are nonadherent to oral anticancer medications (OAM), yet no studies have systematically examined health belief profiles or identified belief-based intervention targets to improve adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to categorize distinct health belief profiles and examine their associations with medication adherence and HRQoL among cancer survivors. This cross-sectional online survey study recruited participants from two crowdsourcing panels across the U.S. between June and July 2024. Latent profile analysis was used to categorize participants' patterns of health beliefs. Eligibilities were self-reported who had a cancer diagnosis and were currently taking at least one OAM. Participants completed a 54-item online survey assessing cancer perceptions, beliefs about OAMs, medication adherence and HRQoL. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate regression analysis were conducted to compare group differences and examine the associations between health belief profiles, adherence and HRQoL. Among 323 respondents, three distinct health belief profiles emerged, significantly associated with adherence (adjusted R2 = 0.491, F change = 27.07, p < 0.01) and HRQoL (adjusted R2 = 0.286, F change = 6.12, p < 0.01). The Optimistic and adaptive profile (13.3%) demonstrated strong understanding of OAM use, greater perceived control over recurrence, fewer negative cancer consequences, and high perceived necessity with minimal concerns about medication. The Conscious but hesitant profile (30.7%) maintained balanced perceptions of cancer and treatment but reported the lowest perceived necessity for medication. The Overwhelmed and unaware profile, the largest subgroup (56.0%), exhibited greater perceived cancer consequences, higher treatment concerns, the lowest adherence and the lowest HRQoL. Subgroup analysis revealed that specific beliefs significantly associated with nonadherence (perceived risk of recurrence) and HRQoL (cancer and treatment consequences and emotional responses), suggesting that reframing negative beliefs may improve outcomes. To support sustained medication adherence and HRQoL, interventions should focus on enhancing patient education about the role of OAMs in cancer control, addressing concerns about side effects, and enhancing access to resources that alleviate cancer-related consequences. Future research should explore the mechanisms through which health beliefs affect adherence and identify unmet emotional and informational needs among cancer survivors.

Black adults experience diabetes complications and mortality in disproportionate rates in the United States, with barriers to care driven by factors such as limited access to quality healthcare, socioeconomic disparities, racial discrimination contributing to mistrust and health misperceptions, and social determinants of health such as food insecurity. Poor diabetes outcomes occur, in part due to insufficient access to novel diabetes medications and technologies, and low participation in diabetes management education programs. Within care teams across various healthcare settings, limited health literacy, and poor patient-provider communication, often influenced by implicit bias, further hinders effective diabetes management. Peer support, especially when integrated effectively into a multidisciplinary care team, is a promising approach to address these challenges. Peer supporters, individuals with shared lived experience and cultural backgrounds can foster trust, translate medical guidance in lay terms, and provide ongoing and sustained emotional, social, and tangible support. Peer-led interventions reduce diabetes distress and improve self-efficacy, medication adherence, and clinical outcomes, especially when tailored for Black adults. To effectively integrate peer supporters into care teams, defined roles, structured workflows, and strategically engaging them in patient care planning and team meetings is needed. Comprehensive and robust training, certifications, and continuing education ensure their competence, while maintaining role authenticity. Visibility within clinic and healthcare spaces, role clarity, administrative support, funding and continuous evaluation enhance the sustainability of peer supporters. Facilitators of their role include policy advocacy and funding avenues including Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. Future efforts should focus on policy reforms to address structural inequities, support the expansion of peer supporters within care teams, including focused roles to thrive professionally, and establish sustainable models through participatory designs and robust evaluations. To address diabetes inequities in Black adults, culturally tailored peer support within multidisciplinary teams is critical, requiring collaborative engagement of healthcare systems, communities, and policy makers.

BACKGROUND:Black adults are disproportionately burdened by diabetes as they face systemic, cultural, and historical barriers to participating in and engaging in diabetes self-management education (DSME). Adapting DSME to address lived experiences and cultural values of Black adults may improve its effectiveness and relevance. PURPOSE:This study describes the co-design process of collaborating with a Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) to develop a culturally adapted supplemental guide for facilitators to use alongside an evidence-based DSME curriculum, titled Healthy Living with Diabetes (HLWD). METHODS:We actively engaged a SAB consisting of Black adults with diabetes, previous HLWD facilitators, community health workers, and community leaders. To guide the adaptation of the DSME curriculum for Black adults, we held five structured co-design SAB meetings with the focus of tailoring the content and implementation strategies. Qualitative meeting notes including feedback from the SAB were analyzed to inform the development of the supplemental guide. RESULTS:The SAB emphasized the importance of including the addressing of social and historical context, mistrust, family influence, stigma, and emotional challenges within Black communities. The co-developed supplemental guide included culturally relevant visuals, analogies, and facilitation strategies. The implementation strategies focused on relationship development, trauma-informed facilitation, and the use of affirming language. CONCLUSIONS:A culturally rooted codesign approach along with Stakeholder Advisory Board engagement led to the creation of a culturally adapted DSME supplemental guide that may enhance the engagement and cultural relevance of DSME programs for Black adults.

Persistence with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)–based therapies is important for sustained weight loss and glycemic control in adults with coexisting obesity and type 2 diabetes. This narrative review examined how persistence has been defined and measured, real-world patterns of continuation and discontinuation, factors associated with persistence, reasons for discontinuation, and supportive strategies in this population. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, with follow-up ranging from 6 months to 2 years. Persistence generally declined over time and often fell below 60

IntroductionBlack adults in the United States disproportionately experience type 2 diabetes and related complications, yet participation in diabetes self-management education (DSME) is low. Culturally adapted approaches are needed to improve engagement and outcomes. This pilot study evaluated the implementation of a co-designed culturally adapted DSME program for Black adults using the RE-AIM framework and Proctor’s implementation outcomes.DesignThis pilot mixed-methods implementation study evaluated a culturally adapted 6-week group based DSME program delivered in community settings. Thirty-two Black adults with diabetes or prediabetes were enrolled. Implementation outcomes included attendance, retention, and satisfaction. Participant-reported outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 months, and qualitative interviews explored participant experiences.ResultsRetention was 100%, with high attendance (86%) and strong satisfaction, indicating high feasibility and acceptability. Participants reported improvements in engagement, empowerment, and self-care behaviors. Qualitative findings highlighted the role of culturally affirming facilitation, trust and group support in promoting participation in DSME. Participants’ mean age was 57; 81% were female, and 75% had type 2 diabetes. Participants reported improvements in overall health (12.1%, p = 0.02), patient health engagement (82.8%, p < 0.01), and diabetes empowerment (19.7%, p < 0.01). Self-care behaviors, such as diet, blood glucose monitoring, and foot care, improved significantly. Retention was 100%, with average attendance of 86% and high satisfaction (mean 4.2/5). Qualitative findings highlighted empowerment, accountability, and trust, fostered by culturally affirming facilitation and group support. Participants recommended longer sessions and hybrid formats.ConclusionThe program was feasible and acceptable, and was associated with improvements in self-reported self-care and empowerment among Black adults. Findings support further testing in larger trials to assess long-term effectiveness and implementation. Given the single-arm design, findings should be interpreted as exploratory.

Background: Engaging diverse populations, including Muslims, in research activities is important to support patient-centered research and improve health equity. Objectives: The research aimed to describe the community engagement steps that informed conducting research with five distinctively diverse U.S. Muslim communities. Methods: This work provides methodological reflections on engaging diverse Muslim communities in the U.S. Researchers built trust-based partnerships with community healthcare organizations and engaged with administrative leaders, advisory members, and people from five diverse communities. Strategies to support sampling, recruitment, multi-language interpretation methods, and how to engage communities and address their concerns are discussed. Results: A total of 22 participants were included in the original study. The research team successfully engaged five of the six planned communities, utilizing multiple interpretation methods and participating in community events to support recruitment and relationship-building. Direct-to-participant recruitment efforts were strengthened by personal connections with trusted community members. Conclusions: Flexibility and adaptability are integral in recruitment and data collection, as diverse communities may respond differently to methods successfully used elsewhere. Attention to gender-related cultural norms, the inclusion of language-concordant researchers, and respect for communities' autonomy in deciding whether and how to participate collectively contributed to more effective and culturally grounded engagement with Muslim communities.

IntroductionBlack adults disproportionately experience poor glycemic control and medication nonadherence, yet few diabetes self-management programs address their unique health beliefs, provider mistrust and sociocultural barriers to taking diabetes medications. This 6-month pilot randomized feasibility trial compared a culturally tailored diabetes self-management program, incorporating beliefs about diabetes, mistrust, and race-congruent peer support to a standard diabetes program.MethodsAn embedded mixed methods design examined the feasibility of the pilot trial, including recruitment, retention, intervention adherence and participant acceptability. Data were collected through participant self-reported questionnaires, field notes, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Qualitative content analysis inductively explored participants’ feedback on the program, participation barriers and potential strategies to overcome the challenges. Mixed methods integration was implemented using a side-by-side joint display to compare, synthesize and interconnect the quantitative and qualitative results across all feasibility domains.ResultsThirteen participants (93%) completed the trial, demonstrating high adherence and retention. Community outreach and a prerequisite orientation using motivational interviewing were feasible and appropriate to recruit potential participants. Participants expressed high satisfaction and acceptability, highlighting the importance of peer support, cultural relevant content and a safe space for sharing experiences. Barriers to participation were identified including schedule conflicts and difficulties in engagement.DiscussionFuture large-scale effectiveness trials should consider combining multimedia into recruitment methods, tailoring the program to address medication-taking goals, and addressing social and environmental barriers to support sustained lifestyle changes.

INTRODUCTION:Women with low incomes are more likely than women with higher incomes to terminate pregnancies to prevent unwanted births. Terminations became less accessible in some states following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. As women would likely carry pregnancies for longer following Dobbs, we evaluated pre-post changes in the use of Medicaid-funded obstetric care following the ruling. METHODS:This study used a single group interrupted time series analysis design to assess pre-post changes in Medicaid health claims for obstetric care use. RESULTS:Use of obstetric care among women who were Black and women living in urban areas was most affected by Dobbs. Obstetric care use by these sociodemographic groups immediately increased after the ruling, followed by a decreasing trend in care use. CONCLUSIONS:States with policies that reduce access to abortion care need to prepare for the increased demand for Medicaid-funded obstetric care among women who now must carry their pregnancies to term.

Objectives Older adults’ (ages ≥65) inappropriate over-the-counter medications (OTC) use is prevalent, comprising Drug-Age, Drug-Drug, Drug-Disease, and Drug-Label types. Given that pharmacies sell many OTCs, structurally redesigning pharmacy aisles for improving patient safety (Senior Safe) was conceived to mitigate older adult OTC misuse, using Stop Signs and Behind-the-Counter Signs for high-risk OTCs. This study determined whether Senior Safe reduced high-risk OTCs misuse, while secondarily evaluating misuse changes for all OTCs. Methods A randomized controlled trial design matched and randomly allocated 20 health system community pharmacies to control or intervention groups. All 288 study participants completed an OTC choice task in which they chose a hypothetical symptom scenario (pain, sleep, cough/cold/allergy), selected an OTC, and described how they would use it at symptom onset and if symptoms persisted or worsened. Reported OTC use was evaluated for each misuse type. Intervention and control sites were compared for each misuse type using multivariate modeling. Results For high-risk OTCs, Drug-Age and Drug-Drug misuse were more likely in control sites (OR = 2.752, P = 0.004; OR = 6.199, P = 0.003, respectively), whereas Drug-Disease and Drug-Label misuse had too few occurrences in intervention sites for statistical comparisons. For all OTCs, only Drug-Age misuse was more likely for control sites (OR = 5.120, P = 0.001). Adults aged 85+ years had the greatest likelihood of all misuse types. Conclusions Results demonstrated that older adults frequently reported multiple misuse types, highlighting safety concerns. Senior Safe reduced high-risk OTC misuse, especially for older adults younger than 85 years. Cumulatively, these findings provide insights into practice recommendations supported through regulatory guidance.

BACKGROUND:Black and Hispanic adults with diabetes are more likely to experience diabetes complications and die from diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. This disparity may be due to medication adherence being negatively affected by social determinants of health (SDOH) and negative beliefs about diabetes and diabetes medicines. Pharmacist delivered medication therapy management (MTM) improves clinical outcomes. However, pharmacists have limited capacity and expertise to address SDOH barriers and health misperceptions. Supplementing MTM with Community Health Workers (CHWs) to address these factors may be more effective with potential for implementation. AIM:To investigate what combination of two possible components, pharmacist delivered MTM and CHWs addressing SDOH barriers and health misperceptions, represents the optimized intervention for Black and Hispanic adults with uncontrolled diabetes. METHODS/DESIGN:We will use a 2 × 2 factorial design (MTM, CHW: ON vs. OFF) where participants will be randomized to one of four treatment conditions in a 6-month intervention delivered mostly by phone. We will recruit 376 Black or Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes and hemoglobin A1C of ≥8 %, a clinical indicator of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The primary outcome is A1C measured at 6 months, and at 12 months for sustained change. The secondary outcome is medication adherence. Several psychosocial factors will be examined as potential mediators. An embedded experimental mixed methods approach will be used to obtain participant perspectives through qualitative interviews and integrated to assess intervention acceptability. DISCUSSION:Our findings will identify the optimized intervention, e.g., comprising MTM or CHW or both intervention components, that effectively and efficiently improves diabetes outcomes among Black and Hispanic adults with uncontrolled diabetes, informing dissemination.

Suboptimal enrollment and retention efforts can compromise the quality of clinical trials. Barriers to enrolling marginalized populations include low awareness/education about clinical trials. Methods-Motivational Interviewing (MMI) is a patient-centered process that integrates education in providing trial information and engages participants in discussions about the trial before enrollment. Though the MMI approach is effective in enhancing trial recruitment and retention, limited studies have incorporated evidence-based health literacy approaches, especially for underrepresented individuals. In this study, prior to the informed consent process, Black adults completed an interactive orientation followed by a small group discussion. The content used health literacy principles including plain language, infographics, and a pictorial roadmap to guide participants about the purpose of a trial, the randomization process, the study objectives, and timeline. Thereafter, two focus groups explored participants’ perceptions of the enrollment process. Fifteen participants attended the orientation with 14 enrolled in the trial after the orientation, (93% enrollment rate). Retention was 93% (control) to 100% (intervention) at the end of 6 months. Participants reported positive orientation experiences due to a better understanding of the study information, expectations, and rationale behind randomization. Implementing an adapted MMI approach focused on health literacy principles may improve trial enrollment and retention rates among Black adults.

ObjectivesThis study explores the structure of beliefs about type 2 diabetes among Black adults and informs potential targets to reframe negative beliefs and enhance diabetes self-management.Research Design and MethodsWe applied network analysis to investigate the interrelated structure and clusters of beliefs about diabetes and identify specific items that could serve as behavioural targets. We obtained self-reported survey data from 170 Black adults with type 2 diabetes. Regularised partial correlation networks and a Gaussian graphical model were used to explore and visualise the interrelationship among 21 items of a culturally adapted Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised.ResultsOverwhelming negative emotions representing the current and long-term effects of diabetes were central to the illness perceptions network among Black adults, with feeling depressed having the highest node strength of centrality indices in the network. Four beliefs had a bridging effect with the central cluster: diabetes taking away the ability to enjoy food, diabetes keeping me away from the job I want, being poor contributed to my having diabetes, and I receive encouragement from friends and family.ConclusionsIn addition to highlighting the overwhelming feeling of diabetes, the illness perception network further differentiated the role of racial identity and social determinants of health as discrete, though both are related sociocultural influence constructs. To enhance self-management for Black adults with type 2 diabetes, this network informs promising intervention targets focused on culturally tailored education related to emotional regulation, internalised stigma and healthy food adaptation, and leveraging support to address social determinants of health.

Objectives: This study sought to understand dietary behaviors among US Muslim people with Type 2 diabetes while managing diabetes and fasting during Ramadan, identify key psychosocial factors influencing behaviors, and examine how identified factors influence diet behaviors and health outcomes from the patient’s perspective. Methods: The study employed community-engaged research principles and qualitative research design. Twenty-two adult Muslim adults living with Type 2 diabetes for over 6 months participated in semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Participants were recruited from five US communities using purposive sampling. Three trained researchers used abductive coding, combining deductive and inductive approaches, to analyze the data. Results: Six main themes emerged from the data: (1) changes in dietary habits during Ramadan; (2) strong influence of religious, cultural and social practices on dietary behaviors; (3) variable self-efficacy in managing dietary behaviors; (4) impact of prior habits and current blood glucose status; (5) decision-making based on diabetes-related health outcomes (e.g., experiencing low blood sugar); (6) participants’ perception of Ramadan as an opportunity for sustainable behavioral changes. Conclusions: This study is among the first to document the dietary behaviors and key psychosocial factors influencing dietary behaviors and health outcomes for US Muslim people with Type 2 diabetes during Ramadan. The study suggests that interventions to improve diabetes control and promote diabetes remission among Muslims can benefit from cultural tailoring that draws on Ramadan religious, cultural and social practices to encourage sustainable behavioral change.

Purpose:This randomized controlled mixed methods pilot study evaluated the preliminary signal of effectiveness of a culturally tailored intervention embedded within a standard Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program. Patients and Methods:Fourteen Black adults with uncontrolled diabetes (A1C ≥ 7.5) enrolled in the study. The study was conducted at a community center and over the phone within a US Midwestern State. All participants participated in a 6-week evidence-based DSME program, with a subset of participants (n=7) randomized to the intervention receiving additional education sessions and race-congruent phone-based peer support throughout the 6-month intervention. Changes in Hemoglobin A1c (A1C) (primary outcome) and self-reported medication adherence (secondary outcome), and other psychosocial outcomes (beliefs about diabetes, self-efficacy, diabetes empowerment, etc.) were assessed at 3 and 6 months using paired t-tests. Between-group differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and within-group differences were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data on participant's perceived impact of the intervention on primary and secondary outcomes were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed to identify themes. Subsequently, a mixed methods analysis was conducted to compare quantitative and qualitative findings. Results:At 6-months, A1C was statistically significantly lower in the intervention group (7.9% (SD =0.4; 95% CI [7.6-8.2]); n=7) compared to the control group (10.6% (SD =0.7; 95% CI [9.9-11.2]); p =0.01; d=0.73; n = 6). There were no significant between-group differences (p =0.22) in medication adherence between the 2 groups. Qualitative themes related to beliefs about medicines, diabetes distress, etc. were identified, and integrated with quantitative psychosocial outcomes further explaining the findings. Conclusion:The findings suggest a signal of evidence for a future adequately powered, randomized controlled trial, testing whether the addition of the theory and evidence-informed culturally specific components of the intervention improve outcomes compared to the DSME program alone.

About half of cancer survivors do not adhere to prescribed oral anticancer medications (OAMs), leading to higher relapse rates, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. Nonadherence disproportionately impacts Black cancer survivors, often due to barriers such as limited healthcare access, healthcare mistrust and health literacy challenges. However, limited research has examined adherence among Black cancer survivors using OAMs, highlighting the need to explore factors contributing to nonadherence for future interventions. This study aimed to (1) assess disparities in medication adherence among Black and Caucasian cancer survivors on OAMs, and (2) examine the extent to which these disparities may be attributed to patient demographics and psychosocial factors. A total of 335 cancer survivors currently taking OAMs were recruited through two online panels. Participants completed a survey on medication adherence, psychosocial factors, and demographics. Medication adherence was measured with the 12-item Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale, designed to assess the extent of adherence to OAMs. Independent t-tests and multiple linear regression analyses examined differences and predictors of nonadherence between Black and White patients. A two-fold Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis was used to further decompose the disparities in medication adherence identified within the regression model. Compared to Caucasian patients, Black patients had significantly lower adherence (-2.06 points, p = .04) to OAMs. The model attributed a total of 2.77 points (SE = .64) of adherence disparities to socio-demographic and psychosocial factors. Specifically, age and metropolitan residence explained 1.18 points (51.5%) and 0.18 points (7.9%) of the variance, respectively. Health literacy emerged as the most significant psychosocial factor, accounting for 1.24 points (54.2%) of the observed disparities in medication adherence. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis offered a nuanced way to assess disparities in medication adherence and their contributing behavioral factors. The results indicate that younger Black cancer survivors and those who live in metropolitan areas showed lower engagement in medication use. Future interventions should adopt a multi-faceted approach to address modifiable factors, such as enhancing health literacy and providing support for OAM adherence among Black cancer survivors. Meng-Jung Wen, Olayinka O. Shiyanbola. Racial and ethnic disparities in medication adherence between Black and Caucasian cancer survivors using oral anticancer medications: A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 3559.

More than half of cancer survivors don’t engage in taking oral anticancer medications (OAMs) due to negative perceptions, leading to relapse, hospitalizations, and higher medical costs. This multimethod study explored cancer survivors’ health belief schemas to understand their decision-making processes around OAM adherence and its impact on quality of life. This cross-sectional study surveyed 323 cancer survivors nationally to assess beliefs about cancer, OAM adherence, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), using latent profile analysis to identify subgroups based on health beliefs. Hierarchical regression examined subgroup associations with adherence and HRQoL, while qualitative content analysis of eight interviews provided deeper insights into participants’ cancer experiences. Three health belief profiles were identified: (1) optimistic and adaptive (n = 43, 13%), (2) conscious but hesitant (n = 99, 31%), and (3) overwhelmed and unaware (n = 181, 56%), with significant differences in belief patterns. Regression analysis showed that health belief profiles explained 49.1% of the variance in medication adherence and 28.6% in HRQoL, adjusted for clinical and demographic factors. Cancer survivors in Profile 3 had the lowest adherence (mean = 20.98, SD = 9.0, P<.001) and HRQoL (mean = 14.45, SD = 7.8, P<.001), with Risk of Recurrence (β = -.15, p = .01), Cancer Consequences (β = -.17, p = .01), and Personal Control (β = -.12, p = .05) as significant strong predictors of nonadherence. Qualitatively, participants reported key consequences of cancer including fatigue and medication side effects, social and structural barriers such as altered dynamics with friends and family, social isolation, and financial strain caused by unaffordable healthcare costs and reduced work capacity. Those who perceived a higher risk of recurrence showed greater tolerance for uncomfortable side effects and adhered more consistently to OAMs. Additionally, compared to the overwhelmed and unaware group, participants who maintained optimism and adaptability in managing their cancer, embraced positive thinking and actively engaged in self-management practices, such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and setting alarms for medication taking. This study identified distinct health belief profiles among cancer survivors, highlighting their impact on medication adherence and HRQoL. Survivors with overwhelmed and unaware beliefs exhibited the lowest adherence and HRQoL, emphasizing the importance of addressing negative perceptions and enhancing personal control to improve outcomes. Tailored interventions targeting specific belief profiles, particularly those at higher risk of nonadherence, may foster better self-management and adherence, ultimately improving quality of life for cancer survivors. Meng-Jung Wen, Olayinka O. Shiyanbola. Understanding health belief profiles and their role in medication adherence and quality of life among cancer survivors: insights from a multimethod study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 7355.

Introduction and Objective: Low participation in Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Programs (DSMES) among Black adults is attributed to unique barriers. To enhance DSMES reach and adoption, we co-designed a culturally tailored program and evaluated its feasibility, implementation and preliminary effectiveness. Methods: Two 6-week culturally tailored DSMES were delivered by trained Black facilitators. Using an embedded mixed methods design guided by RE-AIM, and Proctor Outcomes, we assessed implementation feasibility and effectiveness. Outcomes were measured at baseline and 6 months using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests. Qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups explored participant and facilitator perceptions, and program adoption Results: Thirty-two Black adults participated, primarily female (87%) with a mean age of 57 (SD = 12). At 6 months, significant improvements (p <.05) were observed in self-reported health (12%), health engagement (83%), and diabetes empowerment (20%). Participants reported increased adherence to healthy eating (30%), glucose monitoring (17%), and foot care (54%) compared to baseline. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of culturally relevant recommendations in diet, stress management, and provider communication for fostering engagement and adherence. High program satisfaction (4.2/5.0) rated by participants was related to an empowering facilitation and safe space. Facilitators found the tailored training to be feasible and acceptable (4.7/5.0). However, program providers noted that funding and leadership support posed barriers to broader implementation Conclusion: The culturally tailored DSMES program demonstrated feasibility and significant improvements in health engagement and self-care behaviors among Black adults, with participants and facilitators valuing the culturally relevant approaches to implementation O. Shiyanbola: None. M. Wen: None. M.A. Maurer: None. UW School of Medicine and Public Health from the Wisconsin Partnership Program, and NIH-NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (WPP 5129 and UL1TR002373)