142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

302300
Salud es Vida: A Group-based, Cervical Cancer Education, Promotora Program

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

John S. Luque, PhD, MPH , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Claudia Reyes-Garcia, B.A. , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Lisa Watson, MPH , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Yelena N. Tarasenko, DrPH, MPH, MPA , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Moya Alfonso, MSPH, PhD , Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Neal Esplin, MS , Medical Illustration, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA
Daron Ferris, MD , Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA
Background: Salud es Vida (“Health is Life”) is a theory-driven, community-based, promotora-delivered cervical cancer screening education and promotion program tailored for Latina farmworker women and delivered to small groups. The intervention provides information and resources on cervical cancer, HPV, and the HPV vaccine.

Methods: A team comprised of researchers, promotoras, nonprofit organization representatives, and graphic designers developed an intervention toolkit, composed of a didactic flipchart, 12-minute animated video, and resources brochure. A two-arm efficacy trial with approximately 160 participants in Southeast Georgia is underway.

Results: Preliminary findings suggest some knowledge deficits about the causes of cervical cancer in the initial baseline sample of intervention and control participants (n=27) of under-screened women (i.e., average knowledge test score = 70%). Scores on a 10-item self-efficacy Likert scale for Pap test completion suggested relatively high self-efficacy (mean = 4.1; SD = 0.6). Further, process evaluation suggests promotoras are motivated to educate women about cervical cancer knowledge, prevention, and screening, as well as address barriers related to accessing health care. Some negative attitudes toward the health department where Latino women receive screenings have been noted.

Conclusion: Peer-led education on cervical cancer prevention is needed for low-income, Latina farmworker women in newer immigrant-receiving areas of the United States. In these regions, there are rarely any Spanish-speaking health professionals to make Latina women comfortable in the health care setting, as well as barriers such as ethnic discrimination, language, service hours and appointment setting rules at the local health department.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe the components of the Salud es Vida cervical cancer intervention. Assess the potential of Salud es Vida to increase cervical cancer screening among Latina farmworkers. Discuss the visual appeal of different materials used in the intervention with this priority population of Latino farmworkers.

Keyword(s): Cancer and Women’s Health, Immigrant Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on cervical cancer education and Latino populations. I am also a recognized expert in the field of community health worker programs for cancer prevention.
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.