title: Effectiveness of videos improving cancer prevention knowledge in people with profound hearing loss.
abstract: Deaf persons have a poorer understanding of cancer prevention, which is felt to be partly due to communication barriers. One hundred ninety-seven d/Deaf persons completed a survey and video on cancer prevention. Half viewed a spoken English program designed for hearing persons (control group); the other half viewed an amended program that had American Sign Language, captions, and printed English options added (experimental group). Knowledge was measured before and after the video, including 1 and 6 months later. Respondents were primarily Caucasian, had low incomes, lost hearing at young ages, and had d/Deaf spouses. Although overall knowledge improved after viewing the video, the presence of culture-specific communications (American Sign Language, captions) did not improve scores compared to the control group, either immediately after the intervention or over time. Moreover, percentage correct on all pretest, and almost all post-test, questions was <50% for both experimental and control groups. For all subjects, regardless of which group they were in, a hearing spouse (p  < 0.001) and more healthcare information sources (p = 0.001) improved knowledge, while African-Americans showed a trend to lesser improvement (p = 0.06). Using culture-specific language did not improve cancer prevention knowledge in this d/Deaf population, and overall knowledge remained low. More study is needed to determine the best way to increase cancer prevention knowledge in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1213, USA. pzaz@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zazove
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Meador
authors.forename: Barbara D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Ananda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Gorenflo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003144:Communication Barriers; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060345:Education of Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D018579:Patient Selection; D014743:Videotape Recording; D055815:Young Adult