Evaluating an intervention to increase cancer knowledge in racially diverse communities in South Carolina.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a cancer education intervention with racially diverse communities in South Carolina.


METHODS
The study was conducted at eight different sites in six counties in SC. The intervention included a 3-h general cancer knowledge and 30-min prostate cancer knowledge component. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered. Maximum scores were 31, 10 and 5 for the general cancer knowledge, prostate cancer knowledge and perceived self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction instruments, respectively. Analyses were completed using SPSS 16.0, SAS 9.1.3, and R v2.6.1.


RESULTS
The study sample consisted of 164 predominantly African American participants. Most of the participants who reported age were 50+ years (62.5%). Among those who reported income, 46.1% had an annual household income <$40,000. The mean general cancer knowledge pre-test score was 26.2 (standard deviation (SD) 3.7) with a mean post-intervention increase of 2.15 points (p<0.01). The mean pre-test prostate cancer knowledge score was 7.3 (SD 2.0) with a post-intervention increase of 0.48 points (p<0.01). Perceived self-efficacy in patient-physician interaction scores had a ceiling effect.


CONCLUSIONS
General cancer knowledge and prostate cancer knowledge scores increased following the intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention was successful in the short-term. It could be continued by community members.
Ford
Marvella E
ME
Department of Medicine, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cancer Disparities Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. fordmar@musc.edu
Wahlquist
Amy E
AE
Ridgeway
Celina
C
Streets
June
J
Mitchum
Katie A
KA
Harper
R Remus
RR
Hamilton
Ian
I
Etheredge
J James W
JJ
Jefferson
Melanie S
MS
Varner
Heidi
H
Campbell
Katora
K
Garrett-Mayer
Elizabeth
E
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013022:South Carolina; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*