Abstract B058: Preliminary findings of a multilevel community-based clinical trials and genomic navigation program implemented in the southern United States

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Advances in genomics have increased our understanding of the interplay between genetics, environment, behavior, and disease. However, these scientific advances are hampered by the inadequate representation of African American (AA) and Hispanic populations in genomic studies and clinical trials; thus, it is important to identify effective engagement and navigation strategies. The goal of the MSM/TU/UAB OCCC Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (PACHE) Outreach Core is to implement and evaluate an evidence-based, theory-informed, multi-level, clinical trial and cancer genomics education program (CTC-GEP) to address the determinants for AA and Hispanic participation in clinical trials and genomic research. The program consists of a clinical and genomic navigator and a high and low-tech toolkit. We will present preliminary data characterizing the feasibility phase of this two-arm behavioral trial. Methods: The Attitudes and Intentions to Enroll in a Therapeutic Trial (AIET) questionnaire and a culturally tailored social and demographic questionnaire were used by navigators to obtain participants information. Cumulative logistic regression was used to assess the correlation of age, race, education, and type of health insurance with attaining a higher score on the Likert scale used in AIET survey questions at pre- and post-test. Results: Younger participants (18-49 years) were significantly more likely than older participants (ages 50 and above) to hold several positive views about participating in clinical trials. Specifically, they were 3.6 times as likely to believe that participating in a clinical trial could help advance science to improve community health (P-value = 0.0393); 4.6 times as likely to think there are benefits for others like them (P-value = 0.25); 5.6 times as likely to trust that clinical trial centers have rules to protect their records (P-value = 0.024); and 3.9 times as likely to trust health workers (P-value = 0.002). Additionally, participants with a high school education or less were 3.2 times as likely to consider themselves at risk of cancer compared to those with a college education or higher (P- value = 0.0015). Medicare & Medicaid recipients, compared to those with private insurance, viewed privacy as a major concern when participating in research (P-value = 0.008). Furthermore, Black/AA participants were more likely than White participants to believe that Blacks are used in research without their knowledge (P-value = 0.005). Conclusions: CTC- GEP was demonstrated to be feasible and acceptable among study participants. Findings from the AIET survey highlight privacy concerns are more pronounced among Medicare & Medicaid recipients, indicating a need for better communication about privacy protections. As well, age and racial disparities exist in trust regarding the ethical conduct of research, with older and AA participants expressing significant concern about being used in research inappropriately and without their knowledge. Citation Format: Mohamed Mubasher, Osato Eke, Victoria Churchill, Vivian Carter, Yu-Mei Schoenberger, Desiree Rivers, Jamirah Chevrin, Stephen Sodeke, Christina Wilkerson, Makeeta Rayton, Teresa Hall, Illeana Barrios Zermeno, Angela Morris, Jennifer Culbertson, Roland Matthews, Brian Rivers. Preliminary findings of a multilevel community-based clinical trials and genomic navigation program implemented in the southern United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B058.