Effects of family health history-based colorectal cancer prevention education among non-adherent Chinese Americans to colorectal cancer screening guidelines

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the effects of the first family health history (FHH)-based colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention education on 1) FHH of CRC communication with family members and primary care physicians (PCPs), 2) fecal occult blood test (FOBT) uptake, and 3) CRC preventive lifestyle modifications among 50- to 75-year-old Chinese Americans non-adherent to CRC screening guidelines.

Methods: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we developed and implemented 62 culturally and linguistically appropriate, theory-driven, FHH-based CRC prevention educational workshops across Texas for 344 Chinese Americans (mostly with low education/income) aged 50-75 years who were non-adherent to CRC screening guidelines.

Results: Linear mixed modeling analyses showed that participants' FHH of CRC communication with PCPs and family members significantly increased two-week post-workshop compared to pre-workshop data (ps<0.001). Moreover, at two-weeks post-workshop, 91.9 % of participants underwent FOBT. Nevertheless, no significant changes were found in participants' lifestyles.

Conclusion: Our educational workshops successfully increased Chinese Americans' FHH of CRC communication and FOBT uptake. Personalized education with longer follow-ups may be needed in future studies to promote lifestyle changes among Chinese Americans.

Practice implications: Health and public health professionals may adopt our workshop educational materials to provide patient and public CRC prevention education for Chinese Americans.

Keywords: Cancer prevention; Chinese American; Colorectal cancer; Community-based participatory research; Family health history.