Communicating community-based participatory research findings to non-scientific communities: Lessons learned from the Community Networks Program (CNP)

The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is committed to reducing the unequal burden of cancer in our society. In 2005, CRCHD established the Community Networks Program (CNP) to address cancer health disparities in underserved and minority racial/ethnic populations. Funding was awarded to 25 grantees to establish community-based education, research, and training programs. Among other accomplishments, these grantees developed customized cancer education materials that addressed the particular needs of the community they serve. Grantees developed a variety of methods of communicating cancer health information, including newsletters, Web sites, multimedia presentations, and informational brochures. Because each grantee produced materials based on the racial, ethnic, and economic makeup of the target population, examining the methods they used provides valuable insight into the best practices for presenting technical research information that is accessible to a lay audience. CNP grantees provided information about their use of various materials to communicate cancer research findings to non-scientific audiences. Most CNP grantees (88%) reported having developed at least one Web site to communicate research findings. Other methods included oral presentations such as classroom lectures (60%), public service recordings (15%), and interviews on television or radio (9%). The data show variation based on the characteristics of the community served. For example, CNP programs that primarily served non-native-English-speakers used television and radio interviews more often than did other CNP sites. Findings will be discussed in detail, along with the implications for communicating cancer research findings to non-technical audiences.