Educating Hispanic women about breast cancer prevention: evaluation of a home-based promotora-led intervention.
OBJECTIVE
Trained community health promoters (i.e., promotoras) conducted home-based group educational interventions (home health parties) to educate Hispanic women from the Lower Yakima Valley of Washington state about breast cancer and mammography screening.


METHODS
Women aged 40-79 participating in the parties completed baseline and follow-up surveys 6 months postintervention (n = 70). Changes in general cancer knowledge, breast cancer screening practices, and intentions to be screened among participants from baseline to follow-up were measured using McNemar's test for marginal homogeneity to evaluate the effectiveness of the parties.


RESULTS
The average age of the sample was 50.0 years (standard deviation [SD] 10.0), 84% reported less than an eighth grade education, and 54% were covered by the state's Basic Health Care Plan. Significant changes between baseline and follow-up were observed with respect to (1) believing that risk of cancer could not be reduced (41% vs. 15%, respectively, p = 0.001), (2) ever having a mammogram (83% vs. 91%, p = 0.014), (3) discussing a mammogram with a doctor (37% vs. 67%, p < 0.001), and (4) intending to have a mammogram within the next few months among women who did not report having a mammogram between baseline and follow-up (61% vs. 81%, p = 0.046).


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in home-based group educational interventions delivered by promotoras may be associated with improved breast cancer screening practices among Hispanic women.
Livaudais
Jennifer C
JC
Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. jlivauda@fhcrc.org
Coronado
Gloria D
GD
Espinoza
Noah
N
Islas
Ilda
I
Ibarra
Genoveva
G
Thompson
Beti
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014861:Washington