Abstract Introduction: There are disparities in knowledge and awareness about colorectal (CRC) prevention and genetic testing among diverse communities in Los Angeles County (LAC). To address this, we trained a workforce of 42 community health workers (CoGENES) specialized in CRC prevention through a train-the-trainer program. We present preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of materials and training delivered by CoGENES as part of a NCI funded PE-CGS network program at USC. Methods: A two-armed, single blinded RCT was launched in August 2024, with recruitment ongoing. All participants are at least 18 years of age and residents of LAC. The intervention includes the delivery of an educational session by trained CoGENES and an a priori developed educational handbook. The control group receives standard CRC and genetic testing materials. Data on demographics, acculturation, cultural values and fatalism, health literacy, numeracy, generalized self-efficacy (GSE), genomic knowledge, cancer prevention behaviors and attitudes, are collected at baseline with validated or team-developed surveys. Follow-up surveys at 6-8 weeks and 6-months after intervention receipt evaluate changes in GSE, genomic knowledge, and cancer prevention behaviors. Results: To date, 96 participants (mean age = 49.3; SD = 13.4) have been recruited, with 61 randomly assigned to the intervention arm, and 35 to the control arm. No statistically significant differences were found at baseline between the two groups. Most participants were female (85%), Mexican (67%), Catholic (62%), married (51%), had completed at least 11th grade (53%), homemakers (35%), and spoke mostly or only Spanish (71%). Family, and religion were ranked the highest among their values. Half of the participants consumed whole grains at least three times a week and had a median intake of fruits (1 cup/day) and vegetables (1 cup/day), below current recommendations. Moreover, 31% of participants consumed at least 4 portions of red meat, and 44% ate processed meat at least once a week. At least 80% of participants reported that they were “very willing” to increase intake of fruits and vegetables and reduce consumption of red/processed meat. Interim analyses of the subset of participants with 6-8 weeks follow-up data showed a statistically significant increase in the mean difference of correct answers (diff = 4.1; 95% CI = 1.8-6.3), and a decrease in the number of times participants selected the option “don’t know” (diff = -5.5; 95% CI = -8.9, -2.2) for the cancer genetic knowledge score in the intervention arm, while no change was reported in the control arm. Conclusion: We present preliminary evidence that deploying CRC prevention trained educators in a community setting, may improve colorectal cancer genetic knowledge, and highlights opportunities and willingness to improve lifestyle and dietary patterns to reduce CRC incidence. Citation Format: Janet Rodriguez, Bianca Rosales, Joel Sanchez Mendez, Diego Alvarez, Charité Ricker, Heinz-Josef Lenz, John Carpten, Lourdes Baezconde Garbanati, Mariana Stern. Experiences and preliminary results of a community-based randomized controlled trial to raise colorectal cancer awareness: Findings from the Community Genetic Navigation Engagement Specialist (CoGENES) program abstract. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A158.
Delgado et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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