Equity in Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention through a Multi-Pronged Network Intervention: Works-in-Progress

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Health Equity

Background:

• Rising cancer incidence disproportionately affects marginalized and underserved populations.
• Existing screening programs often exclude vulnerable groups, necessitating community-centered interventions.
• Community-based models are crucial for disseminating health information to reduce chronic disease risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a community-centered model for diffusing evidence-based health information.
• To determine if enhanced personal health literacy and successful information transfer increase diffusion intention.
• To assess the impact on reducing risks for cancer and other chronic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Post-intervention surveys administered to 1499 diverse Chicago residents aged 18+.
• Measured personal health literacy (confidence in seeking information) and information transfer intention.
• Assessed diffusion intention (network members to share information with).

Main Results:

• Improved personal health literacy significantly correlated with greater diffusion intention (ORs = 2.00-2.68, p ≤ 0.003).
• Successful information transfer strongly predicted greater diffusion, particularly for cancer/chronic disease risk reduction (ORs = 3.43-3.73, p < 0.001).
• Community-centered approaches show promise for sustainable, scalable health equity gains.

Conclusions:

• Empowering individuals with health literacy and facilitating information sharing enhances community health outreach.
• Community partnerships are vital for effectively disseminating health information and reducing health disparities.
• This model demonstrates potential for scalable interventions to improve health equity in diverse populations.