The complexity of the phenomena health disparities requires researchers and public health educators to use many strategies to devise ways of reducing disparities and implement programs with the goal of eliminating those disparities. We are proposing to focus on breast and cervical cancer screening among Black, Latina, and Arab women living in the United States. This will be done by investigating the effectiveness of the Kin KeeperSM Cancer Prevention Intervention, a female-family focused educational intervention for medically underserved women applied in a real world setting, using a randomized control trial design. The Kin KeeperSM model uses synergy and natural communication that exists among female family members to increase cancer prevention education and screening, which translates into functional cancer literacy. Simultaneously we will be using a two-step approach that also includes measuring the cost of the intervention, which is in important if the model is going to be sustained and have public utility in decreasing and ultimately eliminating cancer disparities. The goals of this research project are: 1) To determine if the Kin KeeperSM Cancer Prevention Intervention increases first time and appropriately timed breast cancer screening rates among Black, Latina, and Arab women;2) To determine if the Kin KeeperSM Cancer Prevention Intervention increases first time and appropriately timed cervical cancer screening rates among Black, Latina, and Arab women;3) To measure functional cancer literacy over time at the individual and family level and;4) To assess costs and rates of health care utilization among women in the Kin KeeperSM model and the comparison group. By combining a community based approach with our university-community partnership as well as health services research methodology, we anticipate that we will have sustainable model to impact breast and cervical cancer disparities among medically underserved women.
Results from this research will impact public health agencies and research on planning and intervention design;as to more effectively promote breast and cervical cancer screening and early detection for medically underserved women. This will be done by conducting our intervention outcomes research under real world conditions, partnering with public health agencies and by conducting a cost analysis.
