Jarrett Johnson

Explaining and Improving Breast Cancer Information Acquisition among African-American Women in the Deep South

Objectives A major challenge facing contemporary cancer educators is how to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer prevention and control information to African American women in the Deep South who are believed to be cancer free. The purpose of this research was to provide insight into the breast cancer information-acquisition experiences of African American women in Alabama and Mississippi and to make recommendations on ways to better reach members of this high-risk, underserved population. Methods Focus group methodology was used in a repeated, cross-sectional research design with 64 African American women, 35 years old or older who lived in one of four urban or rural counties in Alabama and Mississippi. Results Axial-coded themes emerged around sources of cancer information, patterns of information acquisition, characteristics of preferred sources, and characteristics of least-preferred sources. Conclusions It is important to invest in lay health educators to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer information to African American women who are believed to be cancer free in the Deep South.

Evaluation and Refinement of a Prostate Cancer Treatment Seminar

Supporters We would like to offer very special thanks to the following companies and organizations for their educational grants: Exhibitors We would also like to thank the following companies & organizations for exhibiting at the conference: Cancer knows no borders. It is the second leading cause of death in developed countries and is among the three leading causes of death for adults in developing and newly industrialized countries. Approximately 12.5% of all deaths are caused by cancer. Thats more than the percentage of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria put together. Cancer is a public health problem worldwide. It affects all people: the young and old, the rich and poor, men, women, and children. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and the total number of cases is increasing. The number of global cancer deaths is projected to increase 45% from 2007 to 2030 (from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths), influenced in part by an increasing and aging global population. Every year almost 7 million people die of cancer worldwide and nearly 75% of cancer-related deaths occur in developing countries where resources are limited. Effective patient and professional education is an essential component for the war against cancer that is common to the entire disease spectrum-prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, research, and survivorship. Past meetings of the AACE, EACE, and CPEN individually and collectively, have witnessed the presentation of numerous cancer education initiatives and programs that have varied widely across the cancer continuum. The focus of this years meeting will be to explore how the exchange of cancer education in research and practice can generate synergy to decrease the burden of cancer among populations with diverse needs in the United States and globally. Ideas focused on how to treat cancer have existed for thousands of years and from those baseline approaches, a variety of treatment theories and practices have formed over time. Many of these early theoretical models have given rise to the refined practices we enjoy today. The evolution of the journey from theory to practice has continued to spawn global research in cancer prevention, treatment, long-term survivorship, and education throughout the cancer spectrum. Evaluating new culturally-and time-relevant practices begins by exploring the theoretical framework upon which the practice is based. Theories and best practices in communication are cornerstone to better understanding how to meet the changing needs of our audience. As our ability to communicate changes, …

Abstract A54: Examining sociodemographic differences in unmet treatment information needs among localized prostate cancer survivors

Background: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men living in the United States. All men diagnosed with prostate cancer must undergo the complex process of treatment decision-making. Men have to be exposed to a range of issues related to treatment care planning and aftercare before they can make an informed treatment choice. The literature suggests that many men make prostate cancer treatment decisions before having all of their information needs satisfied. Patients who do not satisfy all of their information needs before undergoing treatment will have unmet needs. Men with unmet needs are more susceptible to making ill-informed choices and selecting treatment options that are poorly aligned with their preferences. Objectives: To quantify levels of unmet treatment information needs and to explore sociodemographic correlates of unmet needs among a sample of localized prostate cancer survivors. Methodology: From 2013 to 2014, sixty-three prostate cancer survivors completed self-administered surveys on a touch-screen computer. All participants were 40 years or older, self-identified as African American or White, was treated for or actively monitoring localized prostate cancer (Stage T1 or T2), and lived or worked in Western New York or Georgia. The survey collected information on sociodemographic variables, information seeking behavior, and treatment information needs. Unmet treatment information needs were classified as details or issues that survivors deemed important to know but did not explore before making their treatment decision. Each of the 20 treatment information need items was rated as “0 = unimportant” or “1= important”. An unmet needs composite scale was created which ranged from 0 - 20 (α = 0.895). Univariate statistics (frequencies, means and standard deviations) were computed to describe the study sample. Bivariate (T-test, ANOVA and Chi-square) and multivariate statistics were computed to examine associations between study variables. Significance levels for all statistical procedures was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Most participants were White (58.7%), college graduates (54.0%), not working (58.7%), married (78.4%) and had annual household incomes of

Using CBPR to Extend Prostate Cancer Education, Counseling, and Screening Opportunities to Urban-Dwelling African Americans

45,000+ (49.2%). A majority of participants (57.0%) reported at least one unmet information need (range = 0 – 19 unmet needs, mean = 2.83). African Americans reported more unmet needs than Whites (3.64African American vs. 2.50Whites). Results from multiple linear regression analysis indicated that race (β = -2.14, p = 0.05), income (β = -4.60, p = 0.01), and insurance status (β = 6.73, p = 0.01) were significant predictors of unmet information need (F(9,41) = 2.34; p = 0.03). African Americans were less likely to get information they wanted about “How different treatment options work (χ2 = 0.02)” and “How much time is required to complete treatment (χ2 = 0.04).”Conclusions: These results suggest that many prostate cancer patients do not receive all of the information they deem important for treatment decision-making. Treatment information seeking behavior appears to be an emerging area of disparity for African Americans and men with lower income. Patient centered interventions need to be developed and implemented to reduce unmet treatment information needs within these medically underserved populations. Citation Format: Jarrett Johnson, Sarbesh Pandeya, Ahmed Kabore, Stuart H. Tedders, Levi Ross. Examining sociodemographic differences in unmet treatment information needs among localized prostate cancer survivors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A54.

Abstract A45: Racial Differences in Psychosocial Barriers to Initiate Prostate Cancer Treatment Information Seeking

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is becoming one of the dominant approaches for bringing evidence- and consensus-based cancer prevention and control practices to medically underserved communities. There are many examples of how CBPR has been useful for generating culturally specific solutions for different health issues that affect African-Americans. However, few examples exist in the literature on how the CBPR approach can be applied to address prostate cancer. This paper describes a collaborative process for linking inner-city, African-American men to free prostate cancer education, physician counseling, and screening opportunities (prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal examination (DRE)). The site of this community-based participatory project was the city of Buffalo, located in Erie County, New York. The collaborative, community-academic process that is described includes the following: (1) planning and conducting a community needs assessment to contextualize local prostate cancer issues, (2) organizing town and gown event planning, and (3) manipulating aspects of the built environment to build an infrastructure within the community to address disparities in screening opportunities. This paper concludes with a description of lessons learned that can help others develop and implement similar activities in other communities.

The Feasibility of Using Social Networks to Understand the Causal Pathways of Cancer Disparities

Purpose: All men diagnosed with prostate cancer must undergo the complex process of treatment decision-making. Research indicates that most men are not prepared to fully interact with the information environment when they are initially diagnosed. The reasons behind this lack of preparedness are not fully understood. More information is needed about psychosocial facilitators and barriers to information gathering before appropriate interventions can be developed. The purpose of this research was to explore the different types of psychosocial assistance that men might need to help them begin gathering treatment information. Methods: A purposive sample of 63 African-American and Caucasian men treated for or actively monitoring localized prostate cancer (Stage T1 or T2) was recruited to participate. All recruitment was completed via cancer registries, newspaper ads, and word-of-mouth. All participants completed a 30-45 minute self-administered survey on a laptop or touchscreen computer. Data collected included: (1) demographic information and (2) information about their self-reported levels of (a) confidence, (b) confusion, (c) worry, (d) comfort, (e) ease, and (f) organization during their initial searches for treatment information. All men received a

Feasibility Study of Engaging Barbershops for Prostate Cancer Education in Rural African-American Communities

25.00 honorarium for participating. Results: The mean age of participants was 64.17 years. Participants were between six months to 10 years post prostate cancer diagnosis (mean = 5.21 years, SD= 3.23). At the initial search for treatment information, the majority of men (82.5%) were not confident they knew all of the right information to look for and were not confident they could find answers for all of their questions (79.3%). When psychosocial barriers were compared by race, one significant relationship was found. A greater proportion of African Americans (19.2%) found the initial information gathering process more difficult than their Caucasian counterparts (13.5%) (p Citation Format: Heather Guerreso, Jarrett Johnson, Levi Ross. Racial differences in psychosocial barriers to initiate prostate cancer treatment information seeking. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A45.

Assessing the Feasibility of Capturing Treatment Information Needs Using an Electronic Question Prompt List: A Pilot Study of Localized Prostate Cancer Survivors

Background: While it is recognized that multiple factors interact at different socioecological levels to influence cancer disparities, many of the proposed solutions to eliminating disparities have been narrowly focused on individual level factors. Social networks have been shown to influence health outcomes through various pathways, including shared social capital, social and cultural norms, risky behaviors, and the transmission of infectious diseases. Current research has shown how social networks influence health behavior; however there are still some critical gaps in this understanding. There is lack of data about social networks and the context in which individuals make decisions about their medical care and health behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore how certain sociocultural conditions influence the composition and nature of social networks structure; and how in turn these networks serve as mediating structures for certain psychosocial mechanisms that influence decisions about screening health behaviors. Methods: Social network analysis of egocentric networks was conducted to visualize the social networks of 65 African American, Latino, and Caucasian men and women. Descriptive statistics (e.g. frequencies, proportions, and means) will be produced to describe sample characteristics in terms of screening behaviors performed/not performed, network sizes, and flow of information. Bivariate statistics (e.g., Chi-square, Mc Nemar, t-tests, ANOVAs) will be computed to make comparisons on these variables by racial/ethnic group membership. Multivariate statistics will be computed to evaluate the impact of social network characteristics on screening practices, health decisions, and access to health care. Results: Our analysis allows us to describe the structural and compositional network characteristics that are related to prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer screening, and explore whether there is variation in the ways that social network characteristics influence cancer screening behaviors. Our analysis explores the structural and compositional measures of the network (e.g., size, density, strength of ties) and associations among sociocultural conditions, the composition and nature of social networks structure and how in turn these networks serve as mediating structures for certain psychosocial mechanisms that may influence decisions about cancer screening health behaviors. Conclusion: Social network analysis has the potential to provide measureable data to help characterize how individuals interact with and access cancer screening services and other key variables that impact health risk behaviors. Before evidenced-based, multi-level interventions can be developed to improve prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer screening, more scientific knowledge is needed about how interpersonal factors shape these screening behaviors. Citation Format: Essie Torres, Levi Ross, Jarrett Johnson. The feasibility of using social networks to understand the causal pathways of cancer disparities. [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 A70. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-A70