Cueva Katie, Rowles Fiona, Gindt Clayton, Schmidt Jennifer I
Center for Alaska Native Health Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyukuk Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA.
Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA.
J Cancer Educ. 2025 Sep 4. doi: 10.1007/s13187-025-02719-7.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Alaska and the second leading cause of death in the USA, even though the most common cancers are largely preventable through screening and lifestyle changes. Consequently, interventions that promote sustainable behavioral change can reduce existing health disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality. In 2019, community sharing circles inspired the creation of a cancer education project for youth in the Northwest Arctic region of Alaska. We grounded the work in community-based participatory action research (CBPR), empowerment theory, and Indigenous ways of knowing, with a Community Advisory Board guiding the project. Eleven cancer education lessons were developed for young people in the Northwest Arctic, several of which were piloted remotely during the pandemic and delivered in-person in spring 2022. The project team visited each participating community in the spring of 2024 to support peer instructors in teaching cancer topics and presenting requested lessons to youth. Each participant was invited to complete a pre-lesson and a post-lesson survey. A total of 2303 pre-/post-surveys were completed. Respondents' mean cancer knowledge scores were significantly higher after seven different lessons. In 90% of post-lesson surveys, respondents (795/887) said they planned to share information they had learned during the lessons, including lessons about cancer screening exams and eating healthier. In 90% of post-lesson surveys, respondents (799/890) said they planned to reduce their cancer risk in the next 6 months, including by staying tobacco-free and stopping alcohol use. As a learner shared: "Cancer fears hope. Medical research on cancer treatments advances every day. Hope is growing and cancer is soon to be no more."
癌症是阿拉斯加的主要死因，也是美国的第二大死因，尽管大多数常见癌症通过筛查和生活方式改变在很大程度上是可以预防的。因此，促进可持续行为改变的干预措施可以减少癌症发病率和死亡率方面现有的健康差距。2019年，社区分享圈激发了为阿拉斯加西北北极地区的青少年开展癌症教育项目的想法。我们以社区参与式行动研究（CBPR）、赋权理论和本土认知方式为基础开展这项工作，并由一个社区咨询委员会指导该项目。为西北北极地区的年轻人开发了11节癌症教育课程，其中几节在疫情期间进行了远程试点，并于2022年春季进行了面对面授课。项目团队在2024年春季走访了每个参与社区，以支持同伴指导员教授癌症主题并向青少年讲授所需课程。邀请每位参与者完成课前和课后调查。共完成了2303份课前/课后调查。在学习了七节不同课程后，受访者的平均癌症知识得分显著提高。在90%的课后调查中，受访者（795/887）表示他们计划分享在课程中学到的信息，包括有关癌症筛查检查和更健康饮食的课程。在90%的课后调查中，受访者（799/890）表示他们计划在未来6个月内降低患癌风险，包括戒烟和戒酒。正如一位学习者所说：“癌症令人恐惧却也带来希望。癌症治疗的医学研究每天都在进步。希望在增长，癌症很快将不复存在。”
