Piñeiro Bárbara, Arzola Saba, Szalacha Laura, Kue Jennifer, Bauer Andrea, Muegge Carolyn M, Moffatt Steven M, Menon Usha
From the College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida (B.P., S.A., J.K., A.B., U.M.); Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida (L.S.); National Institute for Public Safety Health, Indianapolis, Indiana (C.M.M., S.M.M.); and University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN (C.M.M.).
J Occup Environ Med. 2025 Aug 1;67(8):e590-e594. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003418. Epub 2025 Apr 11.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Cancer-Free Heroes, a web- and telephone-based tailored intervention developed to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among firefighters.
Tailored educational messages were delivered to firefighters based on demographic characteristics, belief assessments, and personalized follow-up with a trained navigator. Feasibility was measured by program completion rates and navigator contact. Acceptability was assessed through a 17-item questionnaire.
Thirty current and retired firefighters enrolled, 86.7% completed the program, among those 92.3% were contacted by the navigator. Eighty percent returned a completed acceptability survey. Acceptability rating was high, M = 3.43 out of 4.0 ( SD = 0.41). The average completion time was 8.3 minutes.
Cancer-Free Heroes is a feasible and acceptable health education intervention for promoting CRC screening among firefighters, laying the groundwork for further research in a larger, more diverse sample.
