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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kassandra Alcaraz, Rebecca Bryan, and Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH. Health Communication Research Laboratory, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-4160, alcarazk@slu.edu

This study used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to determine how far from home individuals traveled to receive breast cancer information at each of seven community settings: beauty salons, Laundromats, health centers, social service agencies, churches, public libraries and health fairs. We examined data from the Reflections of You project, which placed computerized breast cancer education kiosks in these community settings between 2003-2005. The touch-screen kiosks collected information from over 5,000 users, including the zip code of their home address, and used their answers to create and print a tailored mammography magazine for the user. Using GIS, we determined the mean distance between users' homes and the community settings where they used the kiosk. Results show clear differences in how far users travel to different community settings. These findings have important implications for community outreach. Specifically, some community-based venues are more likely than others to provide access to adjacent populations. Given our increasing ability to identify geographic areas that are disproportionately affected by cancer, these findings can inform strategic decision making for cancer prevention and control efforts.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to

• Identify community-based venues that are more likely than others to provide access to adjacent populations.
• Recognize how GIS technology can be used to enhance planning for cancer prevention and control outreach efforts.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No