title: Kin KeeperSM: design and baseline characteristics of a community-based randomized controlled trial promoting cancer screening in Black, Latina, and Arab women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although breast and cervical cancer deaths have declined due to early screening, detection, and more effective treatment, racial and ethnic disparities persist. This paper describes the study design and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of the Kin Keeper(SM) Cancer Prevention Intervention, a family-focused educational intervention for underserved women applied in a community-based setting to promote health literacy and screening adherence to address cancer disparities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female public health community health workers (CHWs) were trained to administer the intervention. They recruited female clients from their public health program caseload and asked each to assemble two to four adult female family members for the breast and cervical cancer home-based education sessions the CHWs would deliver in English, Spanish or Arabic. We randomized the clients into the kin keeper group (treatment) or the participant client group (control).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were obtained on 514 Black, Latina, and Arab women. Close to half were unemployed and had yearly family income below $20,000. Thirty-four percent had no medical insurance, and 21% had diabetes. Almost 40% had no mammography in the last year. Treatment and control groups were similar on most sociodemographics but showed differences in breast and cervical screening history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This innovative study demonstrates the implementation of an RCT using community-based participatory research, while delivering cancer prevention education across woman's life span with women not connected to the health care system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Karen.Williams@ht.msu.edu
authors.forename: Karen Patricia
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: LeeAnne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: Cristian Ioan
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Meghea
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Penner
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammad
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D018912:Arabs; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003150:Community Health Workers; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D057220:Health Literacy; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*