• Jennifer C Livaudais, Gloria D Coronado, Noah Espinoza, Ilda Islas, Genoveva Ibarra, and Beti Thompson.
• Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. jlivauda@fhcrc.org
• J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Nov 1; 19 (11): 204920562049-56.

ObjectivesTrained community health promoters (i.e., promotoras) conducted home-based group educational interventions (home health parties) to educate Hispanic women from the Lower Yakima Valley of Washington state about breast cancer and mammography screening.MethodsWomen aged 40-79 participating in the parties completed baseline and follow-up surveys 6 months postintervention (n = 70). Changes in general cancer knowledge, breast cancer screening practices, and intentions to be screened among participants from baseline to follow-up were measured using McNemar's test for marginal homogeneity to evaluate the effectiveness of the parties.ResultsThe average age of the sample was 50.0 years (standard deviation [SD] 10.0), 84% reported less than an eighth grade education, and 54% were covered by the state's Basic Health Care Plan. Significant changes between baseline and follow-up were observed with respect to (1) believing that risk of cancer could not be reduced (41% vs. 15%, respectively, p = 0.001), (2) ever having a mammogram (83% vs. 91%, p = 0.014), (3) discussing a mammogram with a doctor (37% vs. 67%, p < 0.001), and (4) intending to have a mammogram within the next few months among women who did not report having a mammogram between baseline and follow-up (61% vs. 81%, p = 0.046).ConclusionsParticipation in home-based group educational interventions delivered by promotoras may be associated with improved breast cancer screening practices among Hispanic women.

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