Promoting CIS Among Black Men in Barbershops

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Black men have a 25% higher overall cancer incidence; 40% higher overall cancer mortality; 1.3 times higher colorectal cancer mortality rates; and, 2.3 times higher prostate cancer mortality rates than White men. The Cancer Information Service (CIS) provides free, state-of-science information on cancer prevention and treatment that can help address cancer-related disparities. However between 2000 and 2004, 25.7% of NC callers were men, 13.7% were Black, and only 3% were Black men! Boyd et al. (1998) demonstrated that paid media (TV and radio) successfully increased CIS calls among Black men, but when removed, calls dropped off precipitously. Paid media is unrealistic for many rural and resource poor NC communities, whereas barbershops are located in every NC community. Black men frequent barbershops regularly, exchange all types of information, and build a trusted relationship with their barbers. Barbershops represent a promising place for disseminating simple, easy to implement interventions that encourage calls to CIS. The proposed pilot study will utilize community-based participatory research methods to test barbershop-based intervention strategies that encourage Black men to call CIS' 1-800-4-CANCER for colorectal and prostate cancer information. "CUTS!" (Cancer Understanding Today Study!) will be carried out in two phases: Phase 1 is formative research (interviews, observations, surveys) to gather information on barbershops, barbers, and barber-customer communication. Phase 2 is a 3-arm (attention control vs. print materials vs. print materials + barber training) group randomized controlled pilot study with 6 matched Black barbershops. Primary outcome is call volume to CIS' 1-800-4-CANCER (measured monthly); secondary outcomes (motivations, intentions, self-efficacy to call) are measured pre/post-intervention and as a 3 month follow-up. Process evaluation includes assessing recruitment, dose, cost, and fidelity. The proposed pilot study will yield important information required to develop innovative, context-specific, theory-driven barbershop interventions and to design a larger trial to further test interventions we find effective using an R01 mechanism. This approach is consistent with aims of this RFA and with community-based participatory research principles of collaborating with barbers/customers/owners that are committed to the long-term success of interventions to eliminate cancer disparities among Black men.