Abstract D017: Leveraging service learning to promote cancer health education in Milwaukee public high schools

Abstract

Abstract Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in Wisconsin with notably higher rates of cancer incidence, late stage incidence and mortality noted for Milwaukee and among racial/ethnic minorities living in Milwaukee. Based on results from community-based focus groups on potential solutions to cancer disparities, along with evidence from multiple national studies of key contributors to cancer disparities, we developed a cancer education program to inform Milwaukee youth about cancer. As such, we partnered with the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to develop and pilot a cancer health education curriculum. The study examines the impact of the cancer health education curriculum (CHEC) in cancer-related knowledge, fear and fatalism and behaviors. The curriculum was integrated with a Service Learning component to provide a deeper reach and depth of educational efforts. Methods: The 4-week curriculum developed with a health education teacher is integrated into the required health education course and leverages the school’s service requirement. The curriculum includes: one week of interactive learning sessions (basic cancer biology; cancer risk factors; social determinants of health and cancer disparities; screening, early detection, treatment). During weeks 2-4, students work in small groups to research a particular topic of their choice (i.e., breast cancer screening, nutrition and cancer) creating an informative brochure as well as an interactive activity to teach others about their particular topic. The curriculum culminates in a school wide cancer health fair for students, family and community members fulfilling the students’ mandatory service-learning requirement for the year. Students complete measures of cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism, and modifiable risk behaviors pre and post-curriculum. Results: Since 2015, over 700 students at MHSA have received the curriculum and over 800 family and community members have attended the cancer health fairs. In the third year of the curriculum, we began to collect data on cancer knowledge, cancer fear and fatalism and modifiable risk behaviors. Results indicate: 1) a significant improvement in cancer knowledge (n=265, p< 0.001), 2) a significant decrease in cancer fear and fatalism (p<0.001), 3) a significant increase in fruit consumption (p<0.005), 4) a decrease in screen time (p<0.01), 5) a decrease in tobacco use (p<0.05), 6) an increase in how often students spoke with their family about health in issues in general (p<.05) and about cancer (p<0.0001). Qualitative data from the students reflect important gains such as an interest in sharing their new knowledge about cancer with their community and a sense of empowerment that they can do something to prevent cancer. Conclusions: Providing cancer health education within an existing health education class and leveraging the service-learning requirement to provide students with the opportunity to teach others, leads to notable changes in high school students. Citation Format: Kathleen Jensik, Dakota Berg, Melinda Stolley. Leveraging service learning to promote cancer health education in Milwaukee public high schools [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D017.