Ward Ann J, Coffey Kluhsman Brenda, Lengerich Eugene J, Piccinin Andrea M
Community Cancer Control, Research, and Education, PO Box 355, Lemont, PA 16851, USA.
Prev Chronic Dis. 2006 Apr;3(2):A55. Epub 2006 Mar 15.
The incidence of colorectal cancer in portions of rural Appalachia is higher than in much of the United States. To reduce this disparity, cancer-control strategies could be adapted to and implemented in rural Appalachian communities. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop and test community-based participatory research methods to examine whether cancer coalitions in Appalachia could effectively disseminate print materials from a national media campaign intended to promote colorectal cancer awareness to their rural communities.
This pilot study used a two-arm intervention design with random selection of 450 community organizations from nine counties with cancer coalitions (the coalition arm) and 450 organizations from nine matched counties without a cancer coalition (the noncoalition arm) in northern Appalachia. The primary outcome measures were participation by and interest of community organizations in dissemination of materials from Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign, a national campaign to promote colorectal cancer education and screening. The data were collected with prestudy and poststudy surveys.
One-hundred thirty (29%) organizations participated in the coalition arm, and 38 (8%) participated in the noncoalition arm (P < .001). Within the coalition arm, 86 of the 119 (66%) organizations that responded to the question about influence reported being influenced to participate by the local coalition. Initial interest in dissemination was high in each of the study arms but remained higher throughout the study in the coalition arm than the noncoalition arm.
Community cancer coalitions can increase the local dissemination of material from a national media campaign in rural Appalachia. Continued development and study of methods for coalitions to translate and implement cancer-control strategies at a local level in Appalachia is warranted.
阿巴拉契亚部分农村地区的结直肠癌发病率高于美国大部分地区。为了缩小这一差距，可以在阿巴拉契亚农村社区调整并实施癌症控制策略。这项试点研究的目的是开发并测试基于社区的参与性研究方法，以检验阿巴拉契亚地区的癌症联盟能否有效地向其农村社区传播旨在提高结直肠癌认识的全国性媒体宣传活动的印刷材料。
这项试点研究采用双臂干预设计，从阿巴拉契亚北部九个有癌症联盟的县中随机选择450个社区组织（联盟组），并从九个匹配的没有癌症联盟的县中随机选择450个组织（非联盟组）。主要结局指标是社区组织参与“生命筛查：全国结直肠癌行动运动”（一项促进结直肠癌教育和筛查的全国性运动）材料传播的情况以及兴趣。数据通过研究前和研究后的调查收集。
联盟组中有130个（29%）组织参与，非联盟组中有38个（8%）组织参与（P <.001）。在联盟组中，119个回答了关于影响力问题的组织中有86个（66%）报告称受到当地联盟的影响而参与。每个研究组对传播的初始兴趣都很高，但在整个研究过程中，联盟组的兴趣始终高于非联盟组。
社区癌症联盟可以增加阿巴拉契亚农村地区全国性媒体宣传活动材料的本地传播。有必要继续开发和研究联盟在阿巴拉契亚地区地方层面转化和实施癌症控制策略的方法。
