Evaluating the impact of an educational intervention to increase CRC screening rates in the African American community: a preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
Despite the acknowledged importance of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and its proven prognostic benefit, African American men and women simultaneously possess the highest rates of CRC-related incidence and mortality (Swan et al. in Cancer 97(6):1528-1540, 2003) and lowest screening rates in the United States (Polite et al. in Med Clin N Am 89(4):771-793, 2005). Effective, targeted interventions that promote CRC screening for this community are therefore critical. The current study evaluated the impact of a print-based educational intervention on screening behavior and associated patient-based factors, including cancer-related knowledge, fatalism, worry, and decisional balance (pros-cons).


METHODS
One hundred and eighteen individuals (mean age = 56.08, SD = 5.58) who had not undergone screening were recruited from two health clinics in New York City. Each participant received educational print materials regarding the need for screening, the process of undergoing screening, and the benefits of regular CRC screening.


RESULTS
One in four individuals had undergone post-intervention screening at a three-month follow-up. Whereas all participants reported a decrease in cancer-related worry (p < .05), it was a decrease in fatalism (p < .05) and an increase in decisional balance (p < .05) that was associated with post-intervention screening behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results suggest that fatalistic beliefs and an individual's assessment of the benefits and barriers of screening may be critical in the decision to undergo CRC screening. Future interventions to increase CRC-screening rates for this community may be improved by focusing on these patient-based factors.
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA. ephilip@nd.edu
Errol J
EJ
Philip
Katherine
K
DuHamel
Lina
L
Jandorf
D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013664:Teaching Materials