Abstract 2553: Using a “train-the-trainer” approach with urban and rural minority community health workers to implement the cancer-Community Awareness Access Research and Education (c-CARE) Project
Authors: Vernon Marlo M. , Albashir Ghadeer , Sojourner Samantha J. , Moore Justin X. , Looney Stephen W. , Tingen Martha S. 
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Community health workers (CHW) are often a key component to effective implementation of health promotion interventions; training on intervention delivery and self-efficacy enhances CHW effectiveness. The cancer-Community Awareness Access Research and Education (c-CARE) project utilized a train-the-trainer approach to equip CHWs to teach the four-week c-CARE lung cancer module. Project objectives included providing and facilitating: 1) education on risks of lung cancer, 2) low-dose CT (LCDT) screening for eligible participants, 3) smoking cessation, and 4) training CHWs to deliver the educational intervention and thus promote sustainability.

Methods: Lay CHWs (n=63, 54 urban, 9 rural, 92% female, 56% having ≥Bachelors degree, 79% healthcare providers) were selected from 16 historically African American (AA) churches (n = 9 urban, 3 rural), Federally-Qualified Health centers (n=3) and one community center, all in Georgia or South Carolina. CHW inclusion criteria included pastor recommendation from the churches' healthcare ministry (primarily nurses and other allied health professionals) or community clinic workers who were public health practitioners, nurses, and paraprofessionals. CHWs participated in a 2-day implementation training. Training topics included: their role as a c-CARE facilitator, knowledge of cancer risk factors and lung cancer screening, and using the c-CARE materials to teach the sessions. Pre and post surveys assessed knowledge, satisfaction with the training, and self-efficacy regarding teaching the content. Responses were summarized; all significance tests were two-tailed using a significance level of 0.05.

Result: Improvement in each of the six items was strongly significant (p &lt; 0.001), with a mean improvement of at least 2 points on the 0-10 scale in: 1) understanding of their roles as c-CARE facilitators, 2) knowledge of cancer risk factors, 3) knowledge of lung cancer screening, 4) confidence in conducting a c-CARE group, 5) confidence in their abilities to implement a policy change, and 6) confidence in using c-CARE materials to teach participants. Participants also reported satisfaction with the c-CARE training they received. There were no significant differences between urban and rural CHW participants. CHWs conducted 64 sessions for 586 participants as a part of the c-CARE project.

Discussion: Use of lay CHWs to deliver culturally competent cancer education and screening navigation was an important component of the c-CARE project. Increases in knowledge regarding cancer risk factors, screening requirements, and self-efficacy in leading the sessions were reported by the CHWs. Use of local lay CHWs ensures sustainability, positively affecting community knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding lung cancer, prevention, and screening behaviors.

Citation Format: Marlo M. Vernon, Ghadeer Albashir, Samantha J. Sojourner, Justin X. Moore, Stephen W. Looney, Martha S. Tingen. Using a “train-the-trainer” approach with urban and rural minority community health workers to implement the cancer-Community Awareness Access Research and Education (c-CARE) Project [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2553.