Rural health disparities are common in the US. Rural Appalachia is widely recognized as a geographic, region that is vastly overburdened by chronic disease, including cancers. This health disparity is concentrated in Southeastern, KY. The mission of the UK PRC is to reduce cancer incidence and mortality rates among underserved rural residents of an eight-county health district located in the heart of SE, KY. The strength and commitment of our existing community advisory board coupled with an enduring investment in. the PRC by the University of Kentucky provides an important opportunity to achieve this mission using community-based participatory research. Previous accomplishments by the PRC have laid a solid foundation for the proposed activities that occur in the next funding cycle. The PRC will be strategically located in the center of the Kentucky River Area Development District (KR-ADD). Guided by thee distinct advisory boards, the director (Dr. Crosby) and deputy director (Dr. Casey) will oversee plans designed to enhance community engagement in cancer prevention activities and research throughout the KR-ADD. Augmented by the state and local health departments, planned engagements will provide a model for rural Appalachian communities to use in their efforts to prevent invasive cancers. The UK PRC will continue to expand its sponsorship of cancer prevention research. Drs. Crosby and Casey will direct local, state, and national dissemination efforts elative to the community-based activities and research of the PRC. Local dissemination will promote cancer- protective behaviors of KR-ADD residents. Drs. Crosby and Casey will also direct ongoing training efforts for capacity building in the KR-ADD. Working closely with the College of Public Health at UK, the PRC- sponsored training efforts will provide foundational and advanced experiences to local professionals, public health graduate students, and preventive medicine residents. Ongoing process evaluation of these coordinated activities will occur through periodic assessment of 33 indicators. Evaluation feedback will inform subsequent refinements in PRC activities. Ultimately, the outcomes of the combined PRC activities will be increased cancer screening in the KR-ADD and population-level increases in cancer protective behaviors.
The proposed Rural Center for Cancer Prevention will provide a cancer prevention research infrastructure in an under-served area of rural Appalachia. The Center will engage the communities of this area in ongoing efforts directed toward reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates.
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