Addressing Cancer Health Disparities through Community Assessment and Action: Impact of a Faith-Based Community-Academic Partnership in South Carolina

Faith-based partnerships are a promising strategy to reduce cancer disparities in hard to reach populations. The State Baptist Young Women’s Auxiliary Health Ministry (YWA) of the South Carolina's Women’s Baptist Education and Missionary Convention in partnership with the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network-II (SCCDCN-II), one of 23 Community Network Program Centers funded by the National Cancer Institute, conducts research, training and outreach activities in rural African American communities across the state. The YWA has administered 3,073 surveys since 2006 as part of a continuous needs assessment. Survey data (64% of women completed annual mammograms) and advances in cancer prevention science were used to set priorities for outreach efforts. Outreach activities include the delivery of three cancer educational programs: the SC Witness Project (breast and cervical), Prostate Cancer Screening: Is It Right For Me, and Cancer Health Disparities: What You Need to Know (breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate). A lay health advisor model was employed to enhance organizational capacity, program sustainability, and dissemination. From July 2012 to June 2013, the three initiatives trained 49 lay health advisors and conducted 80 community presentations reaching 3,642 AA community members. These initiatives have improved participants’: cancer screening knowledge (Witness +4%, Prostate +98%, Cancer Health Disparities +1%), intention to engage in cancer screening activities (Witness 99%, Cancer Health Disparities 97%) and intention to spread this knowledge in their communities (Witness 99%, Cancer Health Disparities 86%). The faith-based partnership has effectively assessed and responded to community needs regarding cancer prevention and control activities.