Abstract D018: Dietary and cultural practices of minorities in New York City as an indicator of colorectal cancer screening behavior and screening intent

Abstract

Abstract There are significant racial and gender disparities in health behaviors and health outcomes in the United States, and these differences are vast and not well understood. As colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, and African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the U.S., it is essential to ascertain the interplay between individual health behaviors that may be unique racial patterns, and health outcomes. This research study is a pilot study that is a part of a larger study with existing preliminary data on the intersection between diet and colorectal cancer. This pilot study examines dietary habits and practices of individuals identifying as Black as a predictor for colorectal cancer screening. This study will assess the relationship between dietary habits and screening behavior and intent. This study will evaluate the correlation between individuals with a higher intake of healthy options and their intent to screen for colorectal cancer within a year. The novelty of this study is rooted in its utilization of a study sample that includes participants who are not currently age eligible for screening according to the new recommended guidelines, but will be age eligible within the next five years, utilization of a novel variable such as dietary habits to correlate with screening behavior and intent, extracting differences by gender, and extracting differences by ethnicity. Future work of this study will be concerned with gathering qualitative data around the interrelationship of culture and diet as it pertains to screening behavior and intent, and the multiple variations of that interrelationship by ethnicity. Results of this significant study can provide health educators, providers and policy makers information that is critically necessary in an effort to create culturally relevant health promotion materials within the diverse Black community. Citation Format: Cicely K. Johnson. Dietary and cultural practices of minorities in New York City as an indicator of colorectal cancer screening behavior and screening intent [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 D018.