title: A randomized controlled calendar mail-out to increase cancer screening among urban American Indian and Alaska Native patients.
abstract: This study seeks to ascertain whether a culturally tailored art calendar could improve participation in cancer screening activities. We conducted a randomized, controlled calendar mail-out in which a Native art calendar was sent by first class mail to 5,633 patients seen at an urban American Indian clinic during the prior 2 years. Using random assignment, half of the patients were mailed a "message" calendar with screening information and reminders on breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer; the other half received a calendar without messages. The receipt of cancer screening services was ascertained through chart abstraction in the following 15 months. In total, 5,363 observations (health messages n = 2,695; no messages n = 2,668) were analyzed. The calendar with health messages did not result in increased receipt of any cancer-related prevention outcome compared to the calendar without health messages. We solicited clinic input to create a culturally appropriate visual intervention to increase cancer screening in a vulnerable, underserved urban population. Our results suggest that printed materials with health messages are likely too weak an intervention to produce the desired behavioral outcomes in cancer screening.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98177, USA. doorenbo@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Ardith Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Doorenbos
authors.forename: Clemma
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corpuz
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forquera
authors.forename: Dedra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchwald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000413:Alaska; D001154:Art; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011177:Postal Service; D055815:Young Adult