Written by Grace Duff, BA and MD candidate, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Schilsky Family Summer Research Scholar in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program
This summer, as part of the Public and Global Health track of the Summer Research Program, I was lucky enough to be paired with Jean Hunleth, PhD, MPH, as my mentor. Professor Hunleth is an anthropologist who focuses her research on the roles that children play in health care. Over the past weeks, I have been incorporated into two of her research projects: Reaching for Equity in Adolescent Care through HPV Vaccination (REACH) and Young Cancer Caregivers (YCC).
Within the first hour of my new role, I was on an international Zoom call with three of the REACH team members in Zambia. Tasha, Nella, and Dee explained the work they had been doing with young girls to understand their approaches to accessing the HPV vaccine. Their method was to do role playing in small groups. The moderators would ask the girls to act out going to the clinic to get the vaccine. The girls would each take on a role: mother, daughter, doctor, etc. The “daughter” would typically approach her “mother” and ask to get the vaccine. Sometimes the mother would agree, many times she said no. The daughter would often formulate a scheme to find a way to receive the health care she wanted. Reading the role plays provided me with enhanced understanding of the approaches to accessing health care for young girls in Zambia.
Other methods for gathering data included interviews with health care workers, focus groups with community members, and observations of implementation efforts. By reading through transcripts of interviews and other collected data, I feel that I have developed a stronger understanding of the many perspectives surrounding the HPV vaccine in Zambia. The REACH team will continue to analyze this data and begin developing implementation strategies with the goal of increasing rates of vaccination for young girls.
The other project, Young Cancer Caregivers, focuses on the caregiving roles that cancer patients’ children take on during their parents’ illness and treatment. As the child of a cancer survivor, I assumed that I had done little to care for my mother when I was a 12-year-old. However, this project has forced me to re-think what it is to provide care. Something as simple as getting water or keeping someone company during their treatment is a form of care.
My work on the YCC project focuses on discussions surrounding cancer. I have been reviewing interviews to analyze how patients disclose diagnoses to their children and the dialogue they maintain throughout treatment. What I have observed is that some parents opt to hide their illness while other parents emphasize education. Regardless of approach, these parents are always prioritizing their children, and acting in accordance with what they think is best for their family’s well-being. I find that admirable.
I look forward to continuing my work on these projects and continuing to open my mind to new perspectives and ideas in the realm of health care and caregiving.