Based in rural supermarkets, a unique program to reduce cancer risk in rural communities will improve access to cancer prevention information and healthful foods. Three cancer risk factors are addressed: obesity, sunburn and tobacco usage. Family oriented program activities focus on achieving health behavior change through modification of the food decision environment and increasing knowledge of cancer risk factors and the importance of cancer screening and prevention.

Change strategies include placement of educational materials regarding cancer prevention in rural supermarkets while also implementing marketing strategies emphasizing nutrient rich, cancer-preventing foods. Additionally,...

Read More

Based in rural supermarkets, a unique program to reduce cancer risk in rural communities will improve access to cancer prevention information and healthful foods. Three cancer risk factors are addressed: obesity, sunburn and tobacco usage. Family oriented program activities focus on achieving health behavior change through modification of the food decision environment and increasing knowledge of cancer risk factors and the importance of cancer screening and prevention.

Change strategies include placement of educational materials regarding cancer prevention in rural supermarkets while also implementing marketing strategies emphasizing nutrient rich, cancer-preventing foods. Additionally, food demonstrations and consumer education classes that focus on cancer risk factors, cancer prevention, and the importance of appropriate preventive actions (e.g. cancer screenings) will be conducted in the supermarkets and other community venues. The dangers of exposure to the sun and the use of tobacco products, as well as the importance of eating nutritionally, will be incorporated into the community educational activities.

Computer/cell phone technology applications such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook will be utilized to reinforce health behavioral change with the goal of reducing cancer risk. All activities will encourage participation by both cancer survivors and persons with no previous cancer history.

Through collaboration with a large regional supermarket chain and two rural communities, program activities will be implemented in supermarkets serving rural areas with large, low income and Hispanic populations who have limited access to health care services. In the program design, all activities will be implemented in one community, and the other community will serve as a control.

Behavior change will be evaluated through repeated measurements of program participants' BMI and blood pressure levels and analysis of: a) participants' 3-day food records, b) supermarket sales records, and c) survey data assessing consumers' health status and cancer-preventing related behaviors. Behavior changes in both the type and frequency of sunburn prevention practices and tobacco product usage will be tracked via self reported records and survey data.

It is anticipated that this program will provide reinforced cancer preventing efforts at an individual, family, and community level, resulting in sustained improvements in health behavior. If successful, this project will develop a feasible intervention program which could be implemented in other rural supermarkets and could enable small, rural communities to successfully address multiple cancer risks and ultimately reduce the cancer incidence within the community.

Read Less