Grant Award will Allow Assistant Professor to Address Pressing Cancer-related Needs in Hispanic Men

The University of Arizona College of Nursing is proud to acknowledge the achievement of Associate Professor Julio Loya, PhD, RN, who, along with his co-investigators, recently received a $100,000 grant award from the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement to pursue a research study entitled, "De Hombre a Hombre: Hablando La Neta Sobre el Cancer De La Prostata" (Man to Man: Speaking the Truth about Prostate Cancer). 

What is the importance of the research you will be conducting?

Prostate cancer (PCa) disproportionately affects Hispanic men. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the impact of a community-led research opportunity to improve PCa screening and informed decision-making. By completing this research, we expect to identify culturally appropriate strategies and interventions to reduce PCa risk in Hispanic men, particularly farm workers in the American Southwest. We hope this will also allow us to seek extramural funding for development of community-level interventions.

What does it mean to you to be a part of this important project?

As a Hispanic male, I am at risk for PCa. By being part of this project, I hope to gain a better understanding of the risk of PCa and ways to mitigate it. Also, I derive a great deal of personal satisfaction in trying to help the community to become healthier and live longer.

How could the results of your study impact health-care going forward?

By identifying culturally appropriate strategies and interventions to reduce PCa risk, this could lead to more effective utilization of healthcare services by encouraging members of a vulnerable population to know more about their risk of PCa and how to decrease it.

Award Period: August 2023-June 2025

Description: Despite Hispanic men being at risk for prostate cancer (PCa), there is a lack of knowledge regarding the impact of a community-led research effort to improve screening and informed-decision making (IDM). At the completion of the proposed research, our expectation is to have identified culturally appropriate strategies and interventions to reduce PCa risk. The proposed research focus is understudied and requires a community-academic approach. These findings will enable the team to seek extramural funding (e.g., American Cancer Society) to develop community-level, evidence-based practices that address PCa in Hispanic male farmworkers in the American Southwest. Specifically, this proposal 1) supports Hispanic men in addressing their most pressing cancer-related needs; 2) enhances collaboration between Campesinos Sin Fronteras and UACC researchers to address local cancer issues; 3) fosters the skills and abilities of the community (promotors) to ensure long-term sustainability of our efforts; and 4) provides the scientific foundation for pursing external funds to continue to expand upon this work in the future.

Read more about Dr. Loya here.