Longitudinal study of religion and cancer-related behaviors in Black Americans

描述（由申请人提供）：与其他种族或族裔群体相比，非裔美国人患癌症的比例不成比例。有许多社会和文化因素与影响癌症死亡率的预防和筛查行为有关。宗教/精神参与似乎是其中一个因素。我们有两项正在进行的研究正在测试宗教/精神参与与癌症风险、预防和筛查行为以及身体和情感功能的理论模型。在非裔美国人的全国概率样本中，一组10个潜在的调解人正在接受检查。这是已知的第一个对这些模型进行实证检验的研究。在采访中，参与者被问及他们是否愿意在随后的采访中再次联系。超过90%的参与者表示同意。我们现在有一个独特的、时间敏感的机会，对这两个研究群体进行为期四年的随访，对父母研究中所检查的关系进行纵向分析。此外，我们建议在基线后6年进行第三波纵向数据收集。这些额外的数据收集将加强双亲研究中的冥想分析。这将为宗教与健康之间的关系提供一个急需的纵向检验，并且据我们所知，这也是对宗教与健康之间关系的中介进行的唯一纵向分析。最后，拟议的研究将加强因果解释，这是横截面数据无法做到的。拟议研究的具体目的是：(1)通过对3,173名健康的非裔美国成年人进行为期4年和6年的随访评估，将我们正在进行的两项横断面调查扩展为纵向队列研究；(2)根据具体目标#1的发现，制定和传播实践建议。例如，我们将确定随着时间的推移似乎可以改变的中介和结果，并就如何将宗教/精神参与影响行为的重要中介整合到现有的非裔美国人癌症筛查和预防计划中提出建议。这可以显著提高在基于信仰的环境中提供的项目的有效性，这可能对癌症差异产生影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): African Americans are disproportionately affected by cancer when compared to other racial or ethnic groups. There are a number of social and cultural factors that relate to prevention and screening behaviors that impact cancer mortality rates. Religious/spiritual involvement appears to be one of these factors. We have two ongoing studies that are testing a theoretical model of religious/spiritual involvement and cancer risk, prevention, and screening behaviors, as well as physical and emotional functioning. A set of ten potential mediators are being examined among a national probability sample of African Americans. These are the first known studies to empirically test such models. During the interviews participants were asked if they would be willing to be re-contacted for a subsequent interview. Over 90 percent of participants have indicated yes. We now have a unique and time-sensitive opportunity to conduct a four-year follow-up of these two research cohorts, providing a longitudinal analysis of the relationships being examined in the parent studies. In addition, we propose to conduct a third wave of longitudinal data collection at six years post baseline. These additional waves of data collection will strengthen the meditational analyses in both of the parent studies. This would provide a much-needed longitudinal test of the religion-health connection, and to our knowledge the only longitudinal analysis of mediators of the religion-health connection. Finally, the proposed study would strengthen cause-effect interpretations, something that cannot be done with cross sectional data. The specific aims of the proposed study are to: (1) Expand two of our ongoing cross-sectional investigations into longitudinal cohort studies, by conducting a four-year and a six-year follow-up assessment among our cohort of 3,173 healthy African American adults; and (2) Develop and disseminate recommendations for practice, based on findings from Specific Aim #1. For example, we will identify mediators and outcomes that appear to be modifiable over time, and make recommendations on how to integrate important mediators through which religious/spiritual involvement impacts behavior, into existing cancer screening and prevention programs for African Americans. This could significantly improve effectiveness of programs delivered in faith-based settings, which could have an impact on cancer disparities.