title: Acceptance of a community-based navigator program for cancer control among urban African Americans.
abstract: Patient navigation is now a standard component of cancer care in many oncology facilities, but a fundamental question for navigator programs, especially in medically underserved populations, is whether or not individuals will use this service. In this study, we evaluated acceptance of a community-based navigator program for cancer control and identified factors having significant independent associations with navigation acceptance in an urban sample of African Americans. Participants were African American men and women ages 50-75 who were residents in an urban metropolitan city who were referred for navigation. Of 240 participants, 76% completed navigation. Age and perceived risk of developing cancer had a significant independent association with navigation acceptance. Participants who believed that they were at high risk for developing cancer had a lower likelihood of completing navigation compared with those who believed that they had a low risk for developing this disease. The likelihood of completing navigation increased with increases in age. None of the socioeconomic factors or health care variables had a significant association with navigation acceptance. There are few barriers to using community-based navigation for cancer control among urban African Americans. Continued efforts are needed to develop and implement community-based programs for cancer control that are easy to use and address the needs of medically underserved populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Suite BE103, Charleston, SC 29425, USA, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Suite BE103, Charleston, SC 29425, USA, Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 260 Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 2 Gates, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Community-Based Research and Health Disparities, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Philadelphia Chapter, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, Leon Sullivan Human Resources Building, 1415 N Broad Street, Suite 221B, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Suite BE103, Charleston, SC 29425, USA, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Southwest Action Coalition, 5214 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143, USA and Christ of Calvary Community Development Corporation, 500 S 61st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143, USA.
authors.forename: Chanita Hughes
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Halbert
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Debbie Chatman
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Ernestine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delmoor
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Marvella E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Jerry C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Purnell
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Benita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weathers
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000458:organization & administration; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D062526:Patient Navigation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population