Barent N. McCool

Reducing Cancer Risk in Rural Communities Through Supermarket Interventions

Cancer risk is high, and prevention efforts are often minimal in rural communities. Feasible means of encouraging lifestyles that will reduce cancer risk for residents of rural communities are needed. This project developed and tested a model that could be feasibly adopted by rural communities to reduce cancer risk. This model focuses on incorporating multi-faceted cancer risk education in the local supermarket. As the supermarket functions both as the primary food source and an information source in small rural communities, the supermarket focus encourages the development of a community environment supportive of lifestyles that should reduce residents’ risk for cancer. The actions taken to implement the model and the challenges that communities would have in implementing the model are identified.

Military Parents' Personal Technology Usage and Interest in e-Health Information for Obesity Prevention

BACKGROUND U.S. military families are experiencing high obesity rates similar to the civilian population. The Department of Defenses Military Health System (MHS) is one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, serving approximately 9.2 million active duty service members, retirees, spouses, and children. The annual cost to the MHS for morbidities associated with being overweight exceeds

An Exploration of Body Image Perceptions and Education Needs of Military Parents of Preschool Children

1 billion. The preschool age has been suggested as an opportune time to intervene for the prevention of obesity. Thus, this study investigated the current level of technology usage by military service member families and assessed their needs and interests in health/nutrition information. This needs assessment is crucial for researchers/educators to design further studies and intervention programs for obesity prevention in military families with young children. MATERIALS AND METHODS In total, 288 military parents (233 Army and 55 Air Force) at two military bases whose children were enrolled in military childcare centers in the southwestern United States participated in a Technology Usage in Military Family (TUMF) survey in 2013. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Overall, both bases presented similar technology usage patterns in terms of computer and mobile device usage on the Internet. Air Force base parents had a slightly higher knowledge level of nutrition/health information than Army base parents. The TUMF survey suggested practical ways such as mobile applications/Web sites, social networks, games, etc., that health educators can use to disseminate nutrition/health information for obesity prevention among military families with young children.

Abstract A43: Comparing changes in cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior by demographics and assimilation from a multi-tiered community-based model

ABSTRACT Military service members and their families have unique environmental factors that may influence their lifestyle and behaviors. This study, using the social ecological model, was designed to explore the body image perceptions among military family members. Exploratory qualitative focus group interviews were conducted at child development centers on two military bases in the southwest United States. Researchers conducted a total of 8 group discussions with 24 parents. Four themes emerged from the discussions, including: military requirements, partnership, negative fat talk, and encouraging communication. These themes can inform future research about body image perceptions and weight management in military families and guide education programs.

Nudges in the Supermarket: Experience from Point of Sale Signs

Purpose of the Study: The goal of this paper is to compare the impact of a multi-tiered community-based cancer prevention model on cancer knowledge, health attitude and behavior, by demographics and assimilation with an emphasis of impacts on disadvantaged rural minority population. Background: There is less choice for healthy food, less access to health facilities and sparse access to public health information in rural communities that create higher risk of preventable cancer in rural areas. How families from different cultural origin react to the community dynamics are defined by their culture and language. Thus, to accurately study the effectiveness and impact of cancer prevention approach it would be helpful to compare the outcomes by demographics and assimilation. Experimental Procedures: A project to deliver educational interventions to rural populations by using local supermarkets was launched in June of 2011 in a rural community of West Texas. The population of the intervention community is 4,571 with 64% Hispanic population and a poverty rate of 20%. The primary purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach designed to reduce obesity risk factors in the targeted rural community. While, there have been programs previously developed and tested that have attempted to bring cancer prevention services to local communities, almost all such programs have been located in urban areas and few have utilized supermarkets. This paper evaluates and analyzes the outcome of this project by accounting for the heterogeneity in demographic characters. Data Summary: The paper will be based on two group designs. First, 68 respondents, aged 18 and over, participated in both the pretest and posttest survey, they form the pretest-posttest group for one-group pretest-posttest design (16% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 50% of the total pretest-posttest respondents were Hispanic). Second, 189 and 145 respondents aged 18 and over, participated in pretest and posttest survey respectively. They form the community effect group (15% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 52% of the respondents were Hispanic in pretest survey and 18% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 54% of the respondents were Hispanic in posttest survey). There is no overlap between respondents in the two group design. The cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior comparison will be done for Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic and Spanish vs English language respondents within the two group designs. Statement of Conclusion: Obesity may not be an outcome of a problem in isolation; it is an outcome of a complex of socio-demographic, economic, and health factors. An in-depth applied research like this one will help disentangle this complex issue and facilitate implementation of effective prevention strategies across similar demographics with similar degrees of assimilation. Citation Format: Janani Rajbhandari Thapa, Conrad P. Lyford, Barent McCool, Barbara Pence, Audrey McCool. Comparing changes in cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior by demographics and assimilation from a multi-tiered community-based model. [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 A43. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-A43