| Name | Ellen Kim |
| Institution | Temple University, Center for Asian health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine |
| Research Field | Population Research |
| Role at Institution | Staff |
| Presenter(s) | Ellen Kim |
Increasing Knowledge of Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors and Screening Through A Community-Based Education Initiative
Ellen Kim, BA;1 Lin Zhu, PhD;1,2 Wenyue Lu, ML, PhD(c);1 Safa Ibrahim;7 Steven Zhu;3 Nathaly Rubio-Torio, LMSW;4 Evelyn González, MA;5 Marilyn A. Fraser, MD;6 Ming-Chin Yeh, PhD;7 Grace X. Ma, PhD;1,2 Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD;8 Yin Tan, MD, MPH;1
1 Center for Asian health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2 Department of Urban Health and Population Science, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
3 Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition
4 Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Brooklyn, NY
5 Office of Community Outreach, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA
6 Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, New York City, NY
7 Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY
8 Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY
Introduction: Disparities in incidence and mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) continue to persist between racial/ethnic minority populations and non-Hispanic whites, despite the provision of widespread screening and improved treatments for CRC. The cause for the disparities in incidence and mortality is multifactorial. One important aspect is the suboptimal knowledge and awareness of risk factors and the lack of access to screening in racial/ethnic minority populations.
Methods: To increase awareness of CRC prevention and screening, we trained 20 community health workers affiliated with our community partners and jointly designed and conducted an educational initiative in African, Asian, and Hispanic American communities in the greater Philadelphia area and New York City. We administered surveys before and after the intervention workshops to assess the impact of the educational sessions.
Results: The analysis sample included 413 participants, among which 388 completed the post-survey. One in ten (10.3%) reported a family history of CRC, and half (50.6%) had never had a colonoscopy. The baseline CRC knowledge score was 9.5 out of 16, indicating a moderately low level of knowledge. Participants scored particularly low on the age of CRC screening initiation, needs for screening even without symptoms, and the impact of physical activity on CRC risk. The knowledge score significantly increased to 10.9 (p < .001) at post-survey, indicating a significant impact of the educational workshops.
Conclusion: Culturally-tailored, community-based educational initiatives are effective in raising knowledge of CRC in medically underserved populations. We will discuss the successes and challenges in the implementation process of the initiative.