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Giant Inflatable Colon and Community Knowledge, Intention, and Social Support for Colorectal Cancer Screening
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2013
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Source: Prev Chronic Dis. 10.
[PDF-294.06 KB]
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Alternative Title:Prev Chronic Dis
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Description:Introduction
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-leading cause of deaths from cancer in the United States. Screening decreases CRC deaths through early cancer detection and through removal of precancerous lesions. We investigated whether a health exhibit consisting of a giant inflatable colon was an effective educational tool to increase community members’ knowledge, intention, and social support for CRC screening and prevention.
Methods
Alaska adults (N = 880) attending community events statewide from March 2011 through March 2012 completed a short survey to assess knowledge about CRC, intention to get screened, and level of social support before and after walking through a giant interactive model of a human colon. The survey used a combination of open-ended questions and a Likert scale, where 1 was “very unlikely,” 2 was “somewhat unlikely,” 3 was “neutral,” 4 was “somewhat likely,” and 5 was “very likely.” The model depicted CRC stages from normal tissue to advanced adenocarcinoma and displayed signs with CRC prevention tips. We used the McNemar test and paired sample t tests for univariate analyses.
Results
Respondents significantly improved their CRC knowledge (P < .05), intention to get screened (mean score increased from 4.3 to 4.5, P < .001), and comfort with talking to others about CRC screening (mean level of comfort increased from 3.8 to 3.9, P < .001). Multivariate analysis showed no significant differences by sex, age, or race for improvements in CRC screening knowledge, intention, or comfort.
Conclusion
Interactive exhibits can improve public knowledge and interest in CRC screening, which may lead to increased CRC screening rates and decreased CRC incidence and deaths.
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Volume:10
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