University of South Florida Florida Prevention Research Center

Community Based Prevention Marketing for Systems Change: Reducing Disparities

Description

Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, is the second leading cancer killer for men and women in the U.S. combined. Racial and ethnic minorities, the medically underserved, and rural residents are often diagnosed with colon cancer at a late stage and experience higher death rates. Early screening can help. However, the lack of awareness about the importance of and need for colon cancer screening, in addition to poor access to medical care and lack of provider recommendation for early detection tests, lead to the underutilization of screening. Researchers from the University of South Florida’s Prevention Research Center (PRC) plan to address these barriers to increase colon cancer screening.

Florida PRC researchers will identify, tailor, apply, and test a multilevel intervention using Community-Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM). CBPM is a multistep planning process that incorporates marketing and community-based participatory research principals. This approach is used to improve the adoption of new or existing programs by translating or adapting them to fit local circumstances. To develop and test a multi-level intervention using CBPM, Florida PRC researchers will complete four aims.

1. Select priority populations. Researchers will select priority populations based on those most at risk for late stage colon cancer and those with low screening rates. They will gather this information from the Florida Cancer Data System and Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, respectively.
2. Choose effective programs (i.e., evidence-based interventions). To identify appropriate and feasible programs for priority populations, researchers will conduct a literature review to compare and combine results from the different studies. They will also use a modeling technique (system dynamics modeling) to understand the potential impact of multilevel, evidence-based interventions to improve colon cancer screening rates.
3. Tailor effective programs. Focus groups with priority populations and interviews with key decision makers will help guide researchers on how to adapt identified interventions for priority populations. The discussions and interviews will help to develop a marketing plan that combines the programs into a multilevel intervention.
4. Apply and test the multilevel intervention. Researchers will pre-test, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of the multilevel intervention. Based on their assessment, they will make recommendations for future programs and policies in the state of Florida. 

This research study is a collaborative effort between the Florida PRC, the Florida Department of Health, the American Cancer Society, a community committee, and other stakeholders. The study’s results will be shared through peer-reviewed journals, Florida PRC’s website, and other mediums such as videos and/or podcasts.

Project Identifier Evaluating Community-Based Prevention Marketing

Funding Source PRC Program

Project Status Active

Host Institution University of South Florida

Health Topics Cancer

Research setting No specific focus

Race or ethnicity No specific focus

Gender No specific focus

Age Group No specific focus

Contact Information Center
Florida Prevention Research Center
13201 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (MDC 056)
Tampa, FL 33612

Principal Investigator
Contact: Carol Bryant, PhD
cbryant@health.usf.edu

PRC Deputy Director
Carol Bryant 
Phone: (813) 974-6686
cbryant@health.usf.edu