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Linda Duffett-Leger knows how to talk about health. The former public health nurse is a passionate and experienced advocate for health promotion and disease prevention, and now she's engaging today's online generation in an effective and informed conversation about a seldom-discussed topic — cervical cancer.

With new funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, she's developing a web-based approach to empower young New Brunswick women to take action against this disease.

"We know the internet is the leading source of information on cancer risk for young women," says Duffett-Leger, who is working towards her PhD at the University of New Brunswick. "Research also suggests that young women in this province are poorly informed about risk factors and screening for cervical cancer.

"This project will take advantage of young women's interest in internet-based learning and will offer new ways to help them make sense of the information about cervical cancer."

An estimated 1,300 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in Canada in 2008, and 380 will die from the disease. The Atlantic Provinces have higher than average incidence rates of cervical cancer. In addition, Duffet-Leger added, infection with certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer and HPV infection is most prevalent in young women.

To tackle this problem, Duffett-Leger is engaging the help of local women to design her Internet-based intervention. Fifty New Brunswick women between the ages of 14 and 25 will be interviewed, representing a diversity of rural and urban geography, and a range of sexual activity levels.

The spectrum of their preferences, goals, values and needs regarding cervical health information will then be used by Duffett-Leger and a smaller working group of the participants to design a prototype intervention.

Duffett-Leger envisions the final product will combine video, graphics and dynamic information on cervical cancer and incorporate the elements that make social networking sites like YouTube and Facebook so popular with young women today.

"Ms. Duffett-Leger's research will complement the establishment of New Brunswick's cervical cancer screening program, and offers promise in increasing our ability to engage young women in cancer prevention," says Anne McTiernan-Gamble, Executive Director of the Canadian Cancer Society, New Brunswick. "Identifying a means to empower young women to take action to optimize their health may also impact prevention initiatives offered for other types of cancer."

The Canadian Cancer Society is providing Duffett-Leger with a total of $45,000 in studentship funding over the next two years. This is her first award from the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. For more information about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free bilingual Information & Support service at 1 888 939-3333.