Insights from Research Network Collaborators on How to Reach Rural Communities with Cancer Prevention and Control Programs.

PURPOSE: This paper examines community leaders' and researchers' recommendations for reaching rural communities in a southeastern U.S. state with cancer prevention and control programming. RESEARCH DESIGN: A qualitative inquiry of a grant network's research and community councils was conducted to explore members' opinions on how to engage rural communities and obtain input on how to recruit rural organizations for a mini-grants program. STUDY SAMPLE AND DATA COLLECTION: Telephone/virtual interviews were conducted with all 13 council members. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and findings were examined within the context of system-centric and patient-centric dimensions. RESULTS: Council members discussed limited education, lack of insurance, low socioeconomic status, health care avoidance, and transportation as barriers to cancer prevention and control. They recommended reaching rural populations by partnering with community and faith-based organizations, use of targeted multi-media, and tailored cancer education trainings. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are used for guiding outreach with rural communities and recruitment of rural organizations for a cancer-focused mini-grants initiative.

Implementing Community-Based Prostate Cancer Education in Rural South Carolina: a Collaborative Approach Through a Statewide Cancer Alliance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing community-based prostate health education programs in rural communities. Prostate cancer (PrCA) remains one of the most common cancers among men, and a growing body of literature demonstrates that large interracial differences in PrCA incidence and mortality rates consistently disfavor African Americans in comparison to European Americans. It also is evident, despite the overall decrease in cancer death rates in the USA in recent decades, rural areas are experiencing a reduction in death rates much more slowly. In this study, education session content focused on PrCA risk factors, symptoms, screening, healthy diet and exercise, treatment options, and provider communication strategies. Forty individuals participated and completed pre/post-education program surveys to assess changes in PrCA knowledge and cancer decision-making. Participants showed improvements in education and awareness following the session, and overall impressions of the program were consistently positive as exhibited by participants' answers on a satisfaction survey. The findings demonstrate the real need both in terms of research to understand the underlying problem and to provide practical solutions that can be implemented to reverse the current situation. The results obtained support community-based education programs as an effective means of delivering PrCA prevention, screening, and treatment information to rural communities.