Participation and program outcomes in a church-based cancer prevention program for Hispanic women

This study examined program attendance and related outcomes for Compañeros en la Salud, a church-based culturally focused health promotion program specifically designed for low-acculturated, low-income Hispanic women. In this church-based study, the cancer prevention intervention was the major intervention group, and its effects were compared with a noncancer-oriented family mental health group. The goal of the present study was to identity predictors of program attendance and increases in cancer prevention knowledge and behaviors. Lower levels of acculturation level and greater overall church attendance were predictive of program attendance for Hispanic women in the cancer prevention component. Also, attendance in the cancer intervention component of the Compañeros en la Salud program was predictive of posttest cancer prevention knowledge. By contrast, higher acculturation level was a significant predictor of having had a clinical breast exam at posttest. Similarly, younger age and lower fear of cancer were predictive of having had a pap smear at posttest. Finally, pretest cancer prevention knowledge was a significant predictor of mammography screening for women ages 40 and over. These results offer implications for the development of culturally tailored cancer prevention programs for Hispanic women.