Chicago Southside Cancer Disparities Initiative (CSCDI): Faith initiative

Partnerships between the faith and public health sectors are necessary in addressing the complex social issues that are at the core of health inequities.  Chicago's Southside, densely populated by low socioeconomic status African Americans, has seen a significant rise in cancer mortality rates despite the increase in research funding, screening, advanced technology and awareness campaigns that have benefited their white counterparts, necessitating the implementation of more holistic approaches.

Chicago State University (CSU) a minority serving university (MSU) and University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) have formed the Chicago Southside Cancer Disparities Initiative (CSCDI) to provide a pipeline of biomedical and cancer research education for underrepresented minority students. A component of this educational track for the Masters of Public Health (MPH) students is the mandatory completion of a service learning project. 

This presentation will highlight two student partnerships with local community churches and their development of cancer specific health ministries. Students and faculty will share how, using a community based participatory research approach, congregational needs were assessed and addressed. Presenters will describe 1) the development of a cancer, nutrition and cooking guide,  2) the instituting of a congregational cancer resource handbook outlining and providing step by step instruction on how the church has decided to respond when a member is diagnosed with cancer, and 3) the coordination of an annual coed men’s and women's cancer health and resource fair. Participants will also discuss how the each initiative was sustained post student involvement.