Abstract 7554: Strengthening the future cancer workforce: Factors influencing STEM career interest among high school students in Puerto Rico.

Abstract Introduction: National data indicate a decline in student interest in science and biomedical research, posing risks to the future research and clinical workforce. This is especially concerning in cancer, given the rising incidence of the disease and the growing population of survivors. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate among public high school students in Puerto Rico, the factors associated with the interest in pursuing careers in STEM. Methods: Two public high schools were randomly selected from among the seven educational regions defined by the Puerto Rico Department of Education (n=14). Following school authorization, teachers distributed parental consent forms and invited students in grades 9-12 to participate in the study. After parental informed consent received, students completed a survey via REDCap. The instrument assessed five domains: sociodemographic characteristics, academic self-efficacy, school climate, perceived social support, and science career motivation. Main dependent variable was students’ interest in pursuing careers in STEM, dichotomized as (1) students who intend to or may consider following STEM careers, and (2) students who are not interested or reported not having sufficient knowledge about STEM careers. Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Pearson’s Chi-square test examined associations between student interest in STEM and potential covariates. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI. Model selection based on Akaike Information Criterions, Bayesian Information Criterions and likelihood ratio tests. Results: A total of 197 students were recruited, the majority (62.1%) identified as female and 65% expressed interest in or were considering pursuing a STEM career. In the best-fitting logistic model, higher levels of academic self-efficacy and greater science career motivation significantly increased the odds of students being interested in pursuing STEM careers (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.09-2.80; OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.55-4.89, respectively), after adjusting for science self-determination and use of tutoring services. Conclusions: Our findings show that academic self-efficacy and science career motivation are key drivers of STEM interest among Puerto Rican high school students. Understanding these factors can inform the design of targeted programs that provide early exposure to engaging science experiences, while strengthening students’ confidence in their academic abilities, ultimately supporting the development of a skilled workforce capable of meeting the growing demands of cancer research and care. Funding: This work was supported by the NIH (R25MD007607). Ethical approval for the study was secured from the UPR-CCC IRB (20503011465). Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process: During the preparation of this work the authors used AI for editing. Citation Format: Natalie Alamo- Rodríguez, Jacquelinee Rojas-Livia, Xavier López-León, Vivian Colón- López, . Strengthening the future cancer workforce: Factors influencing STEM career interest among high school students in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 7554.