A community-driven action plan to eliminate breast and cervical cancer disparity: successes and limitations.
BACKGROUND
The objective of Alabama Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010 is to implement and evaluate a community action plan (CAP) developed by a diverse coalition to reduce breast and cervical cancer screening disparities between African American and White women.


METHODS
The CAP entailed (1) establishing a core working group (CWG) in each county, (2) training CWG members to promote screenings, and (3) providing coalition members with technical assistance to write mini-grants.


RESULTS
Overall, 241 CWG members were trained. They have conducted 2800 cancer screening surveys. A total of 8 coalition members received mini-grants.


CONCLUSIONS
Community capacity building can lead to a sense of ownership and empowerment.
Fouad
Mona N
MN
Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294-4410, USA. mfouad@uab.edu
Partridge
Edward
E
Dignan
Mark
M
Holt
Cheryl
C
Johnson
Rhoda
R
Nagy
Christine
C
Parham
Groesbeck
G
Person
Sharina
S
Scarinci
Isabel
I
Wynn
Theresa
T
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education; D003256:Community Participation / Q000639:trends; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D006265:Health Care Coalitions / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D044465:White People; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*