Abstract A047: Increasing cancer-related community-engagement strategies among Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions

Abstract

Abstract Addressing cultural beliefs and barriers is imperative to successfully designing and implementing behavior change interventions to increase cancer screening and treatment among underserved communities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) fosters proven strategies that reduce barriers to cancer screening in several diverse population groups. Citizen scientists are laypersons who do not have formal science training but receive training to engage in research efforts responsive to community needs. Project Brotherhood, a community-based health organization on Chicago’s southside, has developed a community engagement model known as the Murray Model. It specifically engages black men in improving their health status. One aspect is engaging black men as citizen scientists to address cancer disparities within their communities. Evidence shows that citizen scientists were better equipped to understand lung cancer risks and increased their advocacy for better health within their communities. In partnership with Project Brotherhood and the University of Illinois Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute, Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) Training Network (ITN) Program is scaling up the citizen scientist Train-the-Trainer program at historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving universities. The Train-the-Trainer ITCR citizen scientist program is partnering with the Morehouse School of Medicine to increase its community and academic capacities in the Atlanta metro area to address cancer disparities. Citation Format: Rohan D. Jeremiah, Marcus Murray, Maisha Standifer, LeChaun Kendall, Carrie Wright, Candace Savonen, Jeff Leeks. Increasing cancer-related community-engagement strategies among Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A047.