 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Precilla Lorene Belin, PhD, MA, CHES, Public Health Program, Morgan State University, Jenkins Bldg. 343, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-4144, pbelin@jewel.morgan.edu, Thomas Alex Washington, PhD, Drug Abuse Research Program, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, 428 Jenkins Building, Baltimore, MD 21251, and Yvonne Greene, Morgan State University, 1700 E Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among African American women and the leading cause of cancer death among 40 to 55 years of age (American Cancer Society, 2002). The five year survival rate is 69% for African American women and 84% for White women (Blumenthal, 1996). The higher breast cancer mortality rate for African American women is partially related to the fact that a larger percentage of their breast cancers are diagnosed later, at a less treatable stage (American Cancer Society, 2002; Phillips, 1995). To improve the survival rate of black women with breast cancer, breast health education that is sensitive to black women is needed in the efforts to increase participation in breast cancer screening (Goelitz, 2001). Also, according to CDC (2000), there is an urgency for health educators to take full advantage of opportunities to reach target audiences during “teachable moments” in a variety of settings and sites through appropriate providers and intermediaries. Therefore, this presentation will (1) identify the major components of “Saving Grace”, a breast cancer prevention and education program in the Black community, (2) discuss the roles of African American women and the Black church in Saving Grace, (3) describe the impact of Saving Grace among African American women, and (4) discuss the effectiveness and sustainability of Saving Grace.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Breast Cancer Programs, Health Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.