Cultural Adaptation of Helping Her Heal, an Educational Counseling Intervention for Spouse Caregivers of Women With Breast Cancer in Ghana.

Abstract

Purpose: To culturally adapt Helping Her Heal (HHH), a nurse-delivered educational counseling intervention for spouse caregivers of women with breast cancer, for applicability in Ghana, Africa.

Participants & setting: Four spouses of women with breast cancer and two nurses in breast clinics were interviewed to review HHH for adaptability.

Methodologic approach: The Ecological Validity Model guided the cultural adaptation of HHH to review the intervention, have Ghanaian nurses review the HHH manuals, modify the original HHH to the targeted demographic, verify the adaptation, and review for acceptability.

Findings: The intervention manuals needed minor modifications in three of the eight dimensions of the Ecological Validity Model: language, content, and metaphor. The structure and focus of each intervention session did not need changes.

Implications for nursing: Findings from this study have laid the groundwork for the cultural adaption of studies. This study is the first step in the process of adapting an intervention for spouse caregivers that will be used by breast cancer nurses in the delivery of care.