Online Program

276627
Cervical and breast cancer screening health promotion intervention for women with intellectual disabilities


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Susan Parish, MSW, PhD, Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Esther Son, PhD, The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
There is a critical need for evidence-based health promotion interventions for women with intellectual disabilities to promote receipt of preventive health screenings including screenings for cervical and breast cancer. One intervention, Women Be Healthy, provides developmentally appropriate, hands-on, multi-modal learning specifically designed to inform women with intellectual disabilities about such screenings. Previous research has shown the intervention to be a promising practice. This study collected data on the knowledge of women with intellectual disabilities living in the community about cervical and breast cancer screening. Data were collected pre and post-intervention with a sample of 198 women across one state in the United States. Women were randomly assigned to either a treatment or delayed treatment group and received Women Be Healthy (n=98), a revised version of the intervention, Women Be Healthy 2 (n=35), or no intervention (n=65). After comparing knowledge scores across the three groups we found that among the nine knowledge items measured, one breast knowledge measure and one cervical knowledge measure showed statistically significant group differences; marginally significant differences were observed for two other knowledge measures. After adjusting for covariates, women who received Women Be Healthy 2 had increased knowledge overall compared to the women receiving no intervention indicating that Women Be Healthy 2 is a promising intervention, but additional efforts are needed to show increased knowledge gains.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe an intervention to increase knowledge of women with intellectual disabilities about cervical and breast cancer screenings. Describe knowledge increases of women who received the original intervention, a revised intervention, or no intervention. Discuss ways disability and health professionals can encourage preventive health screenings for this population.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as the principal or co-principal investigator of multiple federally funded grants related to the health, health care, and well-being of individuals with disabilities and their families. I served as the principal investigator of a three-year randomized controlled trial evaluating an intervention to promote cervical and breast cancer screenings among women with intellectual disabilities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.