Hispanic women have the lowest breast and cervical screening rates compared to other ethnic and racial groups in the U.S. We propose adapting an evidence-based breast and cervical cancer screening intervention program, Cultivando la Salud (CLS; Cultivating Health) to target the growing population of Hispanic women in urban Texas. The CLS breast and cervical cancer screening education and community-based navigation program was previously developed and proven effective for increasing screening among Mexican-American women living in farm worker communities.

Through a collaborative effort with staff at Prosalud, a grassroots promotora (community health worker) program based in the Gulfton commun...

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Hispanic women have the lowest breast and cervical screening rates compared to other ethnic and racial groups in the U.S. We propose adapting an evidence-based breast and cervical cancer screening intervention program, Cultivando la Salud (CLS; Cultivating Health) to target the growing population of Hispanic women in urban Texas. The CLS breast and cervical cancer screening education and community-based navigation program was previously developed and proven effective for increasing screening among Mexican-American women living in farm worker communities.

Through a collaborative effort with staff at Prosalud, a grassroots promotora (community health worker) program based in the Gulfton community in Houston, Texas, promotoras will deliver this breast and cervical cancer screening program targeting low-income, underinsured, medically unserved (or under-served) Hispanic women in need of breast and/or cervical cancer screening. After adaptation of the CLS program to provide culturally appropriate messages to motivate this community of Hispanic women in Houston to get screened, promotoras will implement the program using face-to-face and/or group education approaches.

The program includes information about screening recommendations, local and free (or affordable) screening services, as well as addresses psychosocial and cultural barriers to screening. Promotoras will also provide navigation services to help participants make appointments and complete follow-up care if necessary.

The goals of this prevention project are to increase screening among Hispanic women using culturally appropriate methods, and the specific aims are (1) to train community health workers (promotoras) from the Prosalud promotora program to implement the CLS breast and cervical cancer screening program, (2) to deliver the CLS intervention program to 2,270 low-income Hispanic women in the Gulfton community of Houston, and 3) to evaluate the process and impact of the program on increasing mammography and cervical cancer screening.

A strength of the proposed project is its impact on increasing mammography and Pap test screening among medically underserved Hispanic women. Another strength is the increased capacity developed within the community-based Prosalud promotora program to sustain the program beyond the proposed two year timeframe. Finally, the adaptation of CLS for the Prosalud promotora program has the potential to serve as a model for other urban-based promotora programs working to improve health in medically underserved urban Hispanic communities across the state.

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