Breast cancer education program based in Asian grocery stores

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities
• Community Health Education

Background:

• Breast cancer disproportionately affects Asian women, often due to late detection.
• Reaching diverse ethnic and linguistic groups with health information presents significant challenges.
• Community-based interventions are crucial for improving health outcomes in underserved populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically tailored breast cancer education program.
• To evaluate the impact of community health educators on screening behaviors among Asian women.
• To identify barriers to breast cancer screening within the Asian community.

Main Methods:

• University students trained as community health educators delivered breast cancer information in Asian grocery stores.
• Intervention targeted 8,877 women speaking 40 languages; 1,202 completed baseline surveys and 779 completed follow-up surveys.
• Surveys assessed knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and barriers related to breast cancer screening.

Main Results:

• Initial screening adherence was low, but significantly increased by the follow-up survey.
• The intervention demonstrated cost-effectiveness and community receptiveness to health information.
• Student health educators successfully reached diverse segments of the Asian community.

Conclusions:

• Community health educators in accessible venues like Asian grocery stores are effective for breast cancer outreach.
• Culturally and linguistically tailored interventions can improve breast cancer screening adherence in diverse populations.
• This model provides a cost-effective approach to health education and introduces students to health careers.