The Big Cities Health Inventory, 1997: The Health of Urban USA ranked health indicators of 46 US cities with populations of 350,000 or more. In this survey, a California city ranked eighth out of 38 US cities in the number of women dying of breast cancer in 1994, the latest comparative data. In California, only Sacramento ranked higher. In this metropolitan area, breast cancer comprised almost one of every five female cancer deaths in 1996. This presentation will discuss how the local health department responded with a multicultural breast cancer awareness campaign. The public health goals of the campaign were to increase public awareness about breast cancer and breast health, and to increase early mammography screening. The campaign consisted of the following elements: 1) awareness campaign with broad-based and tailored messages developed in collaboration with the Cambodian, African-American, and Latino communities, elected officials, medical providers, and the media; and 2) use of a free mammography van and promotional outreach to increase mammography rates. Examples of campaign activities will also be discussed, including the following: collaboration with Cambodian community organizations to develop the first Khmer language breast cancer awareness package; outreach to medical providers including promotion of the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program to support breast cancer screening and treatment for uninsured and underinsured patients; collaboration with the Latino Senior Citizens Club to train community members in the Spanish language Tell a Friend package; and working with the City Council to proclaim October 1999 Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the city.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify breast cancer as a public health problem 2. Identify important elements of a community outreach strategy to increase breast cancer awareness. 3. List three local public health responses to the breast cancer epidemic
Keywords: Breast Cancer, Community-Based Partnership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.