Abstract 3469: Exploring the impact of a giant inflatable colon on the level of awareness, knowledge, and intent for colorectal cancer screening among men attending two state fairs in the Midwest
Authors: Sedani Ami E. , Rifelj Kelly K. , Bevel Malcolm S. , McCall Cordero L. , Rogalla Mckenzi , Laliberte Lisa , Ellis Kiara , Pratt Rebekah J. , Rogers Charles R. 
Published: March 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of an interactive inflatable colon as an effective educational tool to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) awareness, knowledge, and screening intention among men attending the Wisconsin (WI) and Minnesota (MN) state fairs.

Methods: Eligible study participants were self-identified men aged 18-75 who spoke English, were residents of WI or MN, and able to read in English. The study was employed during the final operating weekend of both the 2023 WI State Fair (August 11-13) and the MN State Fair (September 1-3). Eligible participants completed: (1) a pre-survey, (2) an unguided tour of the inflatable “Super Colon”, and then (3) a post-survey. The primary outcomes of interest were change in awareness (two items), knowledge (four items), and behavioral intent to obtain CRC screening (one item) from pre- to post-survey. Chi-square tests were used to examine study site differences and to explore the association between demographics and behaviors (awareness, knowledge, intentions) before entry to the Super Colon. McNemar’s test were employed to test if there were significant differences in the distributions from pre- to post-survey.

Results: A total of 940 eligible participants were included in the study sample. The men self-identified their race/ethnicity as Non-Hispanic (NH) White (72%), followed by NH other (12%), NH Black (9%), and Hispanic (8%). Race and ethnicity significantly varied by study site (&lt;.0001) with participants from WI more likely being members of racial/ethnic groups that are often medically underserved (33% vs. 24% in MN). Only 13% of participants had walked through an inflatable colon before. Of those who were screening-age appropriate (age 45 or older), 89% had been screened for CRC previously. With the exception of one question, baseline CRC knowledge was relatively high among our study sample. Interestingly, having higher confidence of their awareness level was inversely associated with higher knowledge. As a result of touring the Super Colon, a significant improvement in confidence in individuals’ knowledge of CRC (&lt;.0001), knowledge regarding a colon polyp (&lt;.0001), and intentions to be screened in the future (&lt;.0001) were observed. Most participants (95%) agreed that the Super Colon is an effective educational tool to teach people about CRC.

Conclusion: Since both encouraging CRC screening uptake and increasing research study participation among men can be a difficult task, these findings emphasize the crucial role of community-based educational initiatives in achieving these goals. Our findings affirm how the three-dimensional interior of the Super Colon is as an effective educational tool for promoting CRC early detection screening behaviors among men and increasing their awareness.

Citation Format: Ami E. Sedani, Kelly K. Rifelj, Malcolm S. Bevel, Cordero L. McCall, Mckenzi Rogalla, Lisa Laliberte, Kiara Ellis, Rebekah J. Pratt, Charles R. Rogers. Exploring the impact of a giant inflatable colon on the level of awareness, knowledge, and intent for colorectal cancer screening among men attending two state fairs in the Midwest [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3469.