Understanding the social processes of cancer self-management amongst South Asian older adults with chronic health conditions

Canada is undergoing a socio-demographic shift –as a result, older South Asians (SA) are the largest ethnocultural community in British Columba (BC) and have unique healthcare needs. As a collective, SA immigrants represent a diverse community with a wide range of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds, mainly from the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Statistics reveal that cancer rates among SA older adults are steadily rising. Additionally, many SA older adults face an elevated risk of comorbidities like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Although comorbidities are common in all older adults, the SA population requires a nuanced approach to understanding their self-management strategies. The increasing SA population is changing the face of Canadian society and those who experience cancer, which is of significant concern for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare providers. The proposed project will provide a unique opportunity to convene with the SA community in BC to understand the current landscape of cancer for older adults and collaboratively develop culturally appropriate and linguistically acceptable community-based models of care.