Native Hawaiian women have the highest age-adjusted breast cancer rate for women over the age of 40 of any ethnic group in the U.S., and cervical cancer rates 1.6 times the rate for U.S. whites. Mortality rates for both cancer sites are also higher among Native Hawaiians than the U.S. white population. This project will test the effectiveness of an integrated, community-driven cancer control intervention. It is culturally appropriate since it is designed to take advantage of Native Hawaiian social and family networks and their sense of """"""""Kokua"""""""", a Hawaiian social concept that encourages mutual support of community members. """"""""Kokua"""""""" groups will be formed to provide linkage between health workers and Native Hawaiian women and to encourage mutual-support in addressing cancer issues among community members. Project effectiveness will be measured by changes in mammography and PAP screening rates and in increased knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) scores among Kokua group members (n=1400). Process evaluation will determine project components which were influential in affecting screening rates. Community diffusion will be assessed by telephone surveys of an empaneled random sample of community members (n=600). KAP changes among this telephone survey sample will be compared to a telephones survey of Native Hawaiian women outside the intervention area (n=600 empaneled ). An additional group of 600 women in both populations will be surveyed to control for the """"""""teaming"""""""" effect of participating in telephone surveys.
| Gotay, C C; Banner, R O; Matsunaga, D S et al. (2000) Impact of a culturally appropriate intervention on breast and cervical screening among native Hawaiian women. Prev Med 31:529-37 |
