DVD intervention to increase breast cancer screening in vulnerable populations: Focus on Gulf South uninsured women non-adherent with mammography

Two years after Hurricane Katrina the healthcare infrastructure remains fragile and, compared to recent disasters of this caliber, has shown the slowest recovery; leaving many with minimal access to healthcare. Compounding this unstable healthcare environment, are the vastly changing demographics Post-Katrina: a growing influx of Latino migrants, increasing the already challenging landscape of health disparities in this geographic region. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among uninsured minority and underserved women. Factors relating to socioeconomic status, beliefs, attitudes, and culture interact to create this distinction. One way to close the breast cancer mortality gap is to increase mammography adherence. Within the context of the existing cancer burden, the state of the healthcare system and the changing demographics in the Gulf South, this project seeks to investigate the utility of a tailored interactive DVD to promote mammography adherence among uninsured women non-adherent to mammography. This presentation will describe the study, an effort to maximize the health promotion paradigm, employing a participatory-action research strategy to assess behavioral content and contextual presentation of mammography-promoting messages amenable to DVD-enabled delivery. This presentation will discuss the outcomes of the study, including impact on mammography decision-making, development of validated mammography-promoting message content, increased access to mammography, and the improved sustainable role for community organizations in cancer screening and early detection. Recommendations will be presented for the creation of innovative, affordable, user-friendly, and culturally competent technology-driven methods to achieve improved mammography adherence in underserved populations, including Latinos and African-Americans.