Using a Culturally Tailored Intervention to Increase Colorectal Cancer Knowledge and Screening among Hispanics in a Rural Community

Background: Disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates exist among racial/ethnic minorities, especially those living in rural areas. There is an urgent need to implement interventions to improve CRC screening behaviors among such groups, particularly those living in rural areas in the US. Methods: From a rural community of Hispanics, we recruited participants to attend home-based promotor(a)-led "home health parties" in which participants were taught about CRC screening; participants aged 50 and older were given a free fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kit to complete on their own. A pre- and post-test design was used to assess changes in CRC awareness, knowledge and screening at baseline and at one-month follow-up after the intervention. Results: We observed a statistically significant increase in CRC screening awareness and knowledge among participants. CRC screening rates with FOBT increased from 51.0% to 80%. There was also a statistically significant increase in social engagement, that is, the intent to speak to friends and relatives about CRC screening. Conclusions: Findings indicate that culturally tailored CRC education facilitated by promotores in a rural environment, coupled with free stool-based test for CRC screening, is an effective way to increase CRC screening awareness, knowledge, and screening among Hispanics living in a rural area in Washington State. Impact: Culturally tailored home health interventions have the potential to achieve Healthy People 2020 CRC screening goals in Hispanic rural communities.