Education About Risk Factors for Both Cancer and CVD Led to Increased Fruit Consumption in Targeted Population

This abstract will be presented at a press conference hosted by program chairperson Cory Abate-Shen, Ph.D., the Michael and Stella Chernow professor of urological oncology and associate director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center, in the San Simeon AB Room on the fourth floor of the Hilton Anaheim at 7:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Reporters who cannot attend in person can call in using the following information:

• U.S./Canada (toll free): 1 (800) 446-2782• International (toll call): 1 (847) 413-3235

Newswise — ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disease education about overlapping behavioral risk factors for both cancer and cardiovascular disease led to small changes in dietary behavior among a community-based sample of African-American adults, according to data presented at the 11th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, held here Oct. 16-19, 2012.

“When working with populations that do not meet recommended guidelines for health promotion and disease prevention, we found that a more impactful way to help them understand the implications of their decisions was to help them understand that one risky behavior, such as poor diet, is associated with the likelihood of developing multiple diseases,” said Melanie S. Jefferson, M.P.H., research coordinator at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Jefferson and colleagues conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the effect of two risk-factor education programs among 212 African-American adults. Researchers assigned participants to either the integrated risk counseling protocol or the disease-specific protocol.

Participants assigned to the integrated risk counseling protocol received education about the overlap in behavioral risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease. Those in the disease-specific group received education only about behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Both protocols included techniques from motivational interviewing and interactive activities designed to increase fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity.

Participants provided self-reported feedback at baseline and after one month of each protocol.

Researchers found that participants assigned to the integrated counseling protocol increased fruit intake significantly compared with those assigned to the disease-specific protocol. At baseline, only 37.4 percent of participants in the integrated risk counseling group met recommended guidelines for fruit intake. By follow-up, that number increased to 57.4 percent. In contrast, 31.1 percent of patients in the disease-specific group met fruit recommendations at baseline. After one month of counseling, 41.5 percent met the recommendation.

No significant increases were found in vegetable intake or physical activity.

“Our findings suggest that behavioral risk-factor education has some short-term benefits in terms of changing health behaviors. However, it may be difficult for individuals from medically underserved populations to make multiple behavioral changes at once,” Jefferson said. “Future studies are needed to determine if there are differences in responses to interventions that address one versus multiple behavior changes in populations that have limited financial and health care resources.”

# # #

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @aacr #aacr Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About the American Association for Cancer ResearchFounded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 17,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes seven peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer.

For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Abstract:A06 Effects of Integrated Risk Counseling on Cancer Prevention Behaviors. Melanie S. Jefferson(1), Benita Weathers(2), Scarlett Bellamy(2), Ernestine Delmoor(3), Vanessa Briggs(4), Jerry Johnson(2), Rodney Rogers(5), Joseph Purnell(6), Chanita Hughes-Halbert(1). (1)Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, (2)University of Pennslyvania, Philadelphia, PA, (3)Philadelphia Chapter, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, Philadelphia, PA, (4)Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, (5)Christ Calvary Community Development Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, (6)Southwest Action Coalition, Philadelphia, PA.

Introduction: Obesity, which has important implications for cancer risk and outcomes, is the cumulative effect of diet and physical activity behaviors. Many adults, especially those from racial and ethnic minority groups, do not meet the recommended guidelines for these behaviors. Previous research has shown that cancer risk information is effective at motivating early detection, but empirical data are not available on the effects of risk factor information on prevention behaviors. Purpose: We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the effects of alternate forms of risk factor education on prevention behaviors in a community-based sample of African American adults (n=212). Methods: This study was conducted as part of an academic-community partnership; the intervention protocols were developed collaboratively by a multi-disciplinary investigative team consisting of academic and community investigators. The integrated risk counseling (IRC) protocol provided education about the overlap in behavioral risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease and the disease-specific (DSC) protocol only provided education about behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Elements from motivational interviewing were incorporated into IRC and DSC; interactive activities were included in both protocols to develop and enhance skills for increasing fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Adherence to recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity were evaluated by self-report by telephone at baseline and at 1-month following intervention. We predicted that IRC would lead to greater adherence rates compared to DSC. Regression analyses, using an intent-to-treat approach were conducted to evaluate adherence rates for behavioral outcomes while controlling for baseline levels. Results: Compared to DSC, IRC was associated with increased adherence rates for fruit intake only (OR=1.85, 95% CI=0.99, 3.44, p=0.05). At baseline, 37.4% of participants who were randomized to IRC met the recommended guidelines for fruit intake, but at follow-up 57.4% were adherent. There were no significant changes in adherence rates for fruit intake among those who were randomized to DSC (31.1% versus 41.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that integrated risk factor education leads to improved behavioral prevention for some outcomes. Making multiple behavioral changes simultaneously may be particularly difficult.