Abstract A20: Increasing pap testing with a community-based educational intervention in the Latina population

Abstract

Introduction: Every year in the U.S., there are approximately 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer, and approximately 4000 deaths due to cervical cancer (Jemal, Siegel, Ward, Hao, Xu, & Thun, 2009). The Latino/a population is disproportionately affected by cervical cancer, in that Latinas have higher incidence rates (12.7 per 100,000) and mortality rates (3.1 per 100,000) due to cervical cancer than non-Latina white women (7.3 per 100,000 and 2.1 per 100,000, respectively) (American Cancer Society (ACS), 2009; Downs et al., 2008; Jemal et al., 2009; Saraiya et al, 2007). “Por la Vida” is a San Diego-based Latino/a program dedicated to increasing cancer education in the Latino/a community, through the involvement of consejeras (community health workers), since 1990. The purpose of this study is to examine the success of a “Women and Cancer” program in increasing pap testing in the Latina population. We examined self-reported changes in pap testing behaviors and beliefs about cervical cancer before and after participating in the “Women and Cancer” program, and compared the changes to women who participated in a “Nutrition and Cancer” program, which had no cervical cancer-specific information. Both programs were conducted by “Por la Vida” from the years 1997 through 2002.

Method: Participants were 260 Latinas from the “Women and Cancer” program, and 308 Latinas from the “Nutrition and Cancer” program. Participants completed a pre-test (before the program was initiated) and post-test (6 months after completion of the program) questionnaire that examined their health behaviors and health-related beliefs. McNemar tests were used to compare changes in behaviors and attitudes from pre-test to post-test for participants in each of the two programs.

Results: The number of women who reported they ever had a Pap test increased significantly from pre to post test for women in the “Women and Cancer” program. There was no change in pap testing over time for women in the “Nutrition and Cancer” program. Similarly, the number of women who had a Pap in the last year increased significantly for those in the “Women and Cancer” program, and stayed the same for women in the “Nutrition and Cancer” program. With regard to beliefs about cervical cancer, women who participated in the “Women and Cancer” program gained a significantly more positive outlook toward surviving early stage cervical cancer, while those who participated in the “Nutrition and Cancer” program did not.

Discussion: These results reinforce the importance of topic specific, and culturally appropriate education programs for increasing cancer screening behaviors. Such programs have the potential to reduce cancer disparities in underserved populations.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A20.