Health D.E.P.O.T.S in Charlottesville, Virginia: Culturally sensitive and health literate Cancer education for African-Americans

Access to healthcare and health education is a major problem in the African American community and contributes to overall health disparities. The goal of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of developing Health D.E.P.O.T.S. (Delivering Education Places Outside Traditional Settings) to target the African American community, with a specific focus on addressing cancer education, prevention, screening, and lifestyle changes. Five Health D.E.P.O.T.S. were established, including two churches, a civic organization, a barber shop and a beauty salon located in Charlottesville, Virginia. We established partnerships with the owners of the selected Health D.E.P.O.T.S. to address their needs as well as our goals of delivering health education outside of traditional settings. Culturally tailored audios and videos were developed and incorporated into the existing activities at the Health D.E.P.O.T.S.. The videos highlighted African American cancer survivors from the local community, who told their story of survival through focused interviews. Physicians from the UVa Health System also provided health information regarding breast, colon, lung, prostate, and cervical cancers, as well as recommendations for lifestyle changes to reduce cancer risk. Additional written health educational materials were also made available. An anonymous survey was given to visitors/clients/patron participants to evaluate the Health D.E.P.O.T.S. experience on their first visit and on subsequent visits (up to 5 visits). Results indicated that the videos were effective tools to motivate and educate participants regarding cancer prevention and lifestyle change. Participants indicated that they learned new information from the videos, they were motivated to seek screening, and they were motivated to change their behavior. The potential impact of the D.E.P.O.T.S. was also enhanced, as participants planned to discuss what they had learned with friends and family members allowing us to explore communication networks. The Health D.E.P.O.T.S. eliminated access barriers to health information and they provided a conduit to disseminate information in a trustworthy place inside the community.