ASPO Abstracts
Preliminary Data on Cancer Knowledge in participants of the Population Health Assessment of Southern Arizona
Category: Cancer Health Disparities
Conference Year: 2022
Abstract Body:
Purpose: This study aims to determine the overall cancer knowledge of respondents to the Arizona Cancer Center Population Health Assessment survey overall and by county of residence and health disparity group. Methods: Using survey data collected in the context of a comprehensive cancer-related Population Health Assessment (PHA), we characterize cancer knowledge for respondents across five Southern, border Arizona counties. Cancer knowledge is assessed within the PHA standardized questions adopted from ACS online cancer quizzes. The cancer knowledge assessment consists of 22 true-false response items regarding general cancer knowledge and knowledge specific to six cancer types, representing the cancer burden of our catchment area. Answers to the items were analyzed for frequency and percentage. For each participant, the number of correct answers was totaled to reflect an overall cancer knowledge response score (correctness score). The correctness score was then stratified across health disparities and demographic characteristics: race/ethnicity, gender, age, education, language spoken at home, cancer status, and federal poverty level status. Results: To date, 40 participants have completed the PHA survey. Per the PHA sampling frame, respondents are primarily Hispanic (75%), female (82.5%), with an average age of 46 (standard deviation: 18y), and with no personal history of cancer (82%). Of the 22 questions, the highest number of correct responses was 18, and the lowest was 0. The mean score for correct responses was 13 ± 4. The questions that were commonly answered incorrectly were about prostate cancer and HPV prevention. Breast cancer questions were primarily answered correctly, with correct response rates of 97%, 90%, and 90%, across the three items. Overall the correctness score was highest among Non-Hispanic Whites, females, those above the poverty level, and those who spoke English at home. Conclusion: Preliminary responses suggest there is a need to increase overall cancer knowledge among residents in Southern Arizona, with the exception of breast cancer knowledge among all females. More data are needed to provide a robust representation of cancer knowledge among PHA participants and further explore health disparities in relation to cancer knowledge.
Keywords: Health Disparities and Cancer Knowledge