Abstract A59: The inflatable colon is a unique tool for educating people about colorectal cancer in New Mexico and Washington states
Authors: Sanchez Janet , Palacios Rebecca , Briant Katherine , Carosso Elizabeth , O'Connell Mary , Thompson Beti 
Published: May 2015

Background: As the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (US), colorectal cancer (CRC) may be prevented through screening along with early education to promote screening. In the past decade, an NCI-funded Partnership comprised of New Mexico State University (NMSU), a minority serving institution, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), a comprehensive cancer center, have increased the cancer outreach programs in their respective communities by targeting underserved populations.

Purpose: In both sites, education about CRC has taken place during a tour through an Inflatable Colon (IC). In this study, we focus on the similarities and differences among the two sites.

Methods: Each site, NMSU and FHCRC, measured gains in CRC knowledge and intention to be screened, but engaged distinct populations and measured site specific outcomes. In New Mexico (NM), study participants included 485 college faculty, staff, and students, 67% female, between 20 and 69 years of age. Ethnic comparisons were limited to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) (31%) and Hispanics (51%) due to the low sample size for other race/ethnicities in this group. Overall, the NM participants demonstrated significant increases in CRC knowledge and awareness after touring the inflatable colon (p-values &lt; .001). Interestingly, both NHW men and Hispanics started off with lower CRC awareness at pre-test, but exhibited maximum awareness gains equal to that of women and NHWs after touring the colon. Behavioral intentions to obtain CRC screening in the future and to promote CRC awareness also significantly increased (p-value &lt; .001). Gender differences in behavioral intentions to act as advocates for CRC education were found (p &lt; .05), with women being more likely to educate others about CRC than men.

In the Yakima Valley of Washington State, pre- and post-surveys were collected from 947 participants (76.4% Hispanic, 12.3% NHW, and 7.8% Native American) who toured the inflatable colon. Of the respondents, 76% were female. Knowledge about CRC increased significantly from pre-test to post-test (p &lt;0.001). A comparison of those under 50 years of age with those 50 and older showed no differences in knowledge at post-test; they were uniformly high. There was also a significant increase in those who stated they were likely to be screened, from 64.3 at pre-test to 79.3 at post-test (p&lt;0.01). There were no significant differences by gender or ethnicity.

Conclusions: The results from both of these areas showed that using a novel educational tool, such as the walk through colon, can increase CRC knowledge and intention to be screened. Use of the inflatable colon educational tool with both young and age-eligible (&gt; 50 years of age) adults may facilitate the dissemination of CRC information among social networks of both groups of adults. The partnership between the research studies permits comparisons of the results of both studies on a wide array of ethnic- and age-disparate populations.

Citation Format: Janet Sanchez, Rebecca Palacios, Katherine Briant, Elizabeth Carosso, Mary O'Connell, Beti Thompson. The inflatable colon is a unique tool for educating people about colorectal cancer in New Mexico and Washington states. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A59. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-A59