This cancer health promotion project will provide evidence based breast, cervical and colorectal cancer outreach and education to poor, uninsured, uneducated, geographically isolated Hispanic communities in Webb County. In addition, the project will reinforce outreach and education activities already implemented by the City of Laredo Health Department as part of an earlier grant funded by CPRIT.

The project will be implemented by Mercy Ministries of Laredo (MML), which operates fixed and mobile clinics serving the poorest communities and colonias (low income rural areas) in the county. All patients served by MML are uninsured Latino/Hispanic adults, with low literacy skills living in impover...

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This cancer health promotion project will provide evidence based breast, cervical and colorectal cancer outreach and education to poor, uninsured, uneducated, geographically isolated Hispanic communities in Webb County. In addition, the project will reinforce outreach and education activities already implemented by the City of Laredo Health Department as part of an earlier grant funded by CPRIT.

The project will be implemented by Mercy Ministries of Laredo (MML), which operates fixed and mobile clinics serving the poorest communities and colonias (low income rural areas) in the county. All patients served by MML are uninsured Latino/Hispanic adults, with low literacy skills living in impoverished and geographically isolated areas of Webb County (average family served is 17% below Federal poverty guidelines). Poverty is a critical risk factor for cancer mortality. Patients with a lower socioeconomic status are 35% more likely to die once diagnosed with cancer. Investigators attribute this disparity to a later stage cancer disease diagnosis and less aggressive treatment.

Poor people lack access to quality health care and are more likely than others to die of cancer. Poor people endure greater pain and suffering from cancer than most Americans. Poverty drives health disparities more than any other single factor, and is associated with a lack of resources, information and knowledge; substandard living conditions; risk-promoting lifestyle; and diminished access to health care.

This program has four primary goals: increase motivation and skills for cancer prevention and early detection among the population served by MML; reduced risk from breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer for targeted group in Webb County; increased communication and mutual support among community members to acquire and maintain cancer prevention and screening behaviors; and sustained commitment to community and health care personnel education in cancer prevention at Mercy Ministries of Laredo.

In order to achieve these goals, MML will implement an innovative and highly participatory outreach and education program including: (1) promotora (community educator–based) outreach through platicas (informal talks) and traditional Loteria (Mexican Bingo) games in the community using elements of social learning; (2) mailed reminder cards and telephone calls to patients when the date for their appointment approaches or when they are past due; (3) scheduling appointments at point and time of contact; (4) peer-to-peer education and motivation using a snow-balling strategy where individuals, who have been contacted by MML, bring someone from their family or community who needs screening with them; (5) partner with local media to share cancer screening messages; and (6) reinforce messages from clinical nurses and promotoras at every point of contact, using evidence based, culturally appropriate bilingual educational materials on breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

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