title: Promoting cancer screening among churchgoing Latinas: Fe en Acción/faith in action.
abstract: Cancer screening rates among Latinas are generally low, reducing the likelihood of early cancer detection in this population. This article examines the effects of a community intervention (Fe en Acción/Faith in Action) led by community health workers (promotoras) on promoting breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening among churchgoing Latinas. Sixteen churches were randomly assigned to a cancer screening or a physical activity intervention. We examined cancer knowledge, barriers to screening and self-reported mammography, clinical breast exam, Pap test, fecal occult blood test and sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy at baseline and 12 months follow-up. Participants were 436 adult Latinas, with 16 promotoras conducting a cancer screening intervention at 8 out of 16 churches. The cancer screening intervention had a significant positive impact on self-reported mammography (OR = 4.64, 95% CI: 2.00-10.75) and breast exams in the last year (OR= 2.82, 95% CI: 1.41-5.57) and corresponding reductions in perceived (87.6%) barriers to breast cancer screening (P < .008). Cervical and colorectal cancer screening did not improve with the intervention. These findings suggest Fe en Acción church-based promotoras had a significant impact on promoting breast cancer screening among Latinas. Colon cancer screening promotion, however, remains a challenge.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.|Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Elder
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haughton
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: De la Torre
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Slymen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Arredondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003150:Community Health Workers; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000379:methods; D012067:Religion; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis