152349 Colorectal cancer knowledge, perceived barriers to and benefits of screening, stage of readiness for screening, and screening behaviors among urban church-attending African Americans: Findings from and feasibility of a self-administered church-based survey

Tuesday, November 6, 2007: 3:00 PM

Cheryl Holt, PhD , Division of Preventive Medicine, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Isabel Scarinci, PhD, MPH , Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Martha Crowther, PhD, MPH , Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
John Bolland, PhD , College of Human & Environmental Services, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Mark Litaker, PhD , Diagnostic Sciences, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Chastity Roberts, PhD, MPH , Division of Preventive Medicine, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Penny Southward, MPPM , Division of Preventive Medicine, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Steve Coughlin, PhD , Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Mohamad Eloubeidi, MD , Medicine/Gastroenterology, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Significant racial disparities exist such that African Americans have higher incidence as well as mortality rates than all other racial/ethnic groups. A number of interventions have been proposed to address the underutilization of screening, including church-based interventions. As part of the baseline data collection process for a larger randomized controlled intervention study, this presentation reports the process of recruitment and conducting the self-administered surveys through the 16 study churches, as well as baseline findings with regard to levels of colorectal cancer knowledge, perceived barriers to and benefits of screening, stage of readiness for screening, and screening behaviors among urban church-attending African Americans age 50 and older. Both the intervention and survey instruments were based on the Health Belief Model and the Transtheoretical Model. Analyses were also conducted on demographic subgroups such as those who had and had not previously been screened for colorectal cancer. Implications for the intervention implementation are discussed.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the process that was used in church and participant recruitment. 2. Describe findings related to colorectal cancer knowledge, perceived barriers to and benefits of screening, stage of readiness for screening, and screening behaviors among urban church-attending African Americans. 3. Discuss the survey findings in terms of the Health Belief Model and the Transtheoretical Model.

Keywords: Faith Community, Cancer Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

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.