Background: In response to the ten recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel for the Cancer Moonshot, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) introduced the national Screen to Save (S2S): NCI Colorectal Cancer Outreach and Screening Initiative. The S2S intervention aimed to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among racially and ethnically diverse communities nationwide. To carry out this initiative, the CRCHD called upon NCI-funded Community Health Educators (CHEs) from the Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (PACHE) to deliver culturally tailored, evidence-based CRC education and screening resources within their respective catchment communities. Under the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Partnership, the Juntos Contra el Cáncer team and the CHE identified specific Latino communities in San Diego County, California to which the S2S initiative was delivered.
Objectives: The aims were to assess the feasibility of implementing the S2S program and to evaluate the preliminary impact of the S2S program on knowledge of CRC screening. It was hypothesized that CRC knowledge would increase significantly after implementation of the intervention.
Methods: The S2S educational materials were culturally tailored for Latinos and offered in both English and Spanish. The sample included 42 Latinos (men=9 and women=33) ages 50-75 who participated in a 15-minute one-on-one or group educational intervention. Participants were recruited from community settings such as libraries, senior centers, and health fairs. The educational intervention strategies included a presentation using either a flipchart or a PowerPoint slideshow, both of which delivered information on CRC, risk factors, and screening methods. All enrolled participants were administered a consent form and a pretest before the intervention. Following the educational components, participants completed a post-test assessing knowledge and a qualitative survey evaluating the program, and received a $15 gift card as well as educational materials on colorectal cancer from the American Cancer Society.
Analysis: A paired-samples t-test was conducted to evaluate the preliminary influence of the intervention on participants' scores on CRC knowledge measured by 14-item questionnaire in a pretest/post-test intervention study.
Results: The results showed a statistically significant increase in CRC knowledge from the pretest [M=11.74 (3.04)] to the post-test [M=14.10 (3.40), t (41) = -6.29, p < .0005 (two-tailed)]. The results of the qualitative survey indicated that most participants expressed satisfaction with the S2S program and found the visuals and recommendations to be helpful. Overall, participants reported having learned about CRC, polyps, and screening methods. Some participants provided recommendations to improve the program, such as: (1) increasing awareness of CRC through other communication channels, (2) allocating more time to provide the health education, and (3) simplifying medical terminology. One participant reported that providing this information in a public setting was inconvenient due to the nature of the topic.
Discussion: The present study's results suggest that the S2S program showed preliminary efficacy in increasing CRC knowledge among participants. Also, our findings suggest that the S2S program was feasible to implement in a community setting. Based on participants' feedback, it is recommended that the terminology used in the S2S program be simplified. Research suggests that increasing CRC knowledge and awareness is a crucial component to increasing CRC screening rates among racially and ethnically diverse communities. Future research should examine the impact of the S2S program on the screening practices of participants who receive program using a rigorous study design.
Citation Format: Carolina López De la Torre, Sumayah Nuhaily, Jesse Dubin, Jessica Haughton, Elva M. Arredondo. Feasibility and preliminary impact of the Screen to Save Initiative on colorectal cancer screening knowledge [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C65.
