Culturally-Relevant Online Cancer Education Modules Empower Alaska's Community Health Aides/Practitioners to...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Indigenous Health
• Cancer Education

Background:

• Rural Alaska faces challenges in accessing timely, medically accurate cancer information.
• Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) are vital in delivering health education in remote areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate culturally relevant online cancer education modules for Alaska's CHA/Ps.
• To empower CHA/Ps to disseminate cancer information and promote risk reduction behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Collaborative development using Community-Based Participatory Action Research and Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
• Online learning modules created for and with Alaska Native CHA/Ps.
• End-of-module evaluation surveys completed by 89 CHA/Ps (428 total).

Main Results:

• CHA/Ps reported increased confidence in sharing cancer information and engaging in risk reduction behaviors.
• Participants adopted healthier lifestyles, including improved diet, increased screenings, exercise, and tobacco cessation.
• Modules were perceived as informative and culturally respectful.

Conclusions:

• Collaboratively developed, culturally tailored online cancer education empowers CHA/Ps in rural Alaska.
• This initiative can enhance cancer prevention and information dissemination in underserved communities.
• Empowerment Theory principles were effectively applied to improve health outreach.