Participants in the Black women’s focus groups
and the community leader group completed a demographic
survey after providing informed consent.
The demographic survey included variables
such as race, ethnicity, age, health insurance status,
highest level of education completed, and
total household annual income (see Table 1). Community
leaders were only asked about their ethnicity
and age. The five community leaders included
one European, one Haitian, one Caribbean
Islander (Jamaican), and one African American as
well as one community leader who did not specify
her ethnicity. Three of the community leaders
were between ages 45 and 64, one was 18 to 34,
and one did not specify her age. Four moderator
guides with open-ended questions were developed.
The guides for the groups with Black
women focused on participants’ understanding of
Pap smear tests, facilitators and barriers to getting
a Pap test, cultural perspectives of the Pap
test, screening experiences, and cervical cancer
survivors’ experience with treatment and followup.
The community leader guide included the
same questions but also asked participants to reflect
upon the perspectives and experiences of
the women that they serve. The provider guide