Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111038

Anne L. Dorwaldt, MA¹, Berta M. Geller, EdD², Michelle K. McGee, BS³, and Greg S. Dana, MPA¹. (1) Office of Health Promotion Research, University of Vermont, One S. Propsect St., Burlington, VT 05401-3444, (2) Office of Health Prmotion Research, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, 1 South Prospect St, Burlington, VT 05401-3444, 802-656-4115, bgeller@zoo.uvm.edu, (3) Integrated Biological Sciences, University of Vermont, 118 Marsh Life Sciences, Burlington, VT 05405

Despite strong evidence that screening for colon cancer reduces mortality, too few of the population over aged 50 are being screened. Participation rates are particularly low among low education and income groups. In an effort to reduce disparities in colorectal cancer screening participation for these hard-to reach groups, a feasibility study was planned to develop and evaluate a health communication tool to activate the screening process within rural primary care settings. The primary focus was on older adults (aged 50 to 80) with lower levels of education (high school education or less). A series of 6 age and gender-specific focus groups representing this population was conducted to gather information about barriers and facilitators to colon cancer screening. In recruiting the intended audience of undereducated older adults for focus groups over a dozen strategies were employed. This session will describe the strategies used during initial recruitment efforts and the changes that were made to improve the process after the initial round of activity yielded poor results. We will describe in detail those strategies that yielded the best results and outline additional strategies for improving the recruitment process for this hard-to-reach audience and difficult topic based on the results of this study.

Learning Objectives:

• • Participants will discuss challenges in reaching an undereducated older audience.
• • Participants will be able to describe the most effective strategies for recruiting an older undereducated audience for focus group participation on the topic of colon cancer.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation