264756 Impact of Spanish language cancer education in the community

Monday, October 29, 2012

Linda Fleisher, PhD, MPH , Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, PA
Rosa Anderson-deOrtiz , Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, PA
Armenta Washington, MS , Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, PA
Hamad Sindhi, MPH , Department of Community Health and Prevention, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Lisa Ulmer, MSW, ScD , Department of Community Health and Prevention, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Zekarias Berhane, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Evelyn T. Gonzalez, MA , Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, PA
The Pennsylvania Cancer Education Network, a PA Department of Health program, provides education to the public on colorectal, prostate, skin and ovarian cancers. In response to the burgeoning Spanish-speaking population, Fox Chase Cancer Center developed the Spanish-Language programs and a bilingual, bicultural health educator implemented the program in eight counties. Challenges include: limited literacy and an inability to read and write in Spanish. Therefore, the pre/posttests are read out loud, survey questions are explained and staff provides assistance to help participants. The presenter must be reassuring since participants often ask; who are you? Why are you here? Are you coming back? Why do you need this information? Will the information I give be shared with immigration? The health educator encourages them to speak up and ask questions and to take information home to share with family and friends. Using a cross-sectional pretest-posttest design, we evaluated participants' knowledge, attitudes, and intention to screen, before and after the group session. The cohort included 1141 cancer education participants. A little more than half of the participants were female (57%, n=653). The participants were almost evenly divided by age (around 20% for each age group of under 50, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, and over 65 years). Almost all participants had only a high school diploma (99%,n=1126). A little less than half of the participants reported that they had healthcare coverage (47%,n=534). On all four cancer topics, participants increased their knowledge, behavioral intention to screen and decreased their worry about the pain/embarrassment of the tests.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. Assess the Pennsylvania Cancer Education Network's Spanish Language Program. 2. Identify the unique barriers to community-based cancer education among Spanish-speaking populations. 3. Describe the impact of this program on participant's knowledge, intentions to screen and worry about the embarrassment of participating in cancer screening.

Keywords: Cancer Prevention, Community Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am currently a Program Manager at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities, and manage the Pennsylvania Cancer Education Network in the southeast region of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Fox Chase Cancer Center, I provided technical assistance and management for training and health education activities throughout federal Region III. Additionally, I designed and facilitated “Training of Trainers” for Science Based Curricula.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.