Ranking of Health Problems and Prioritization of Cancer Education Topics by African American Communities in South Carolina

Despite landmark breakthroughs in cancer research, African American adults (AA) bear the highest cancer burden compared to other racial groups in the United States (US). AA adults have twice the likelihood of dying from prostate and uterine cancers compared to White adults, suggesting that there are fundamental issues yet to be addressed when developing and implementing cancer-preventative programs for AA communities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) empowers community members to identify and prioritize their health problems and preferred strategies to tackle these issues. In alignment with the CBPR approach, the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) undertook a study to inform cancer research priorities and interventions. A survey designed by the SC CADRE team to assess perceptions about health problems (cancer risk factors), prioritization of cancer education topics, and attitudes related to cancer prevention was completed by predominantly AA community members in South Carolina (N = 179). Participants had a mean age of 51.59 ± 16.53 years; the majority were AA (72.49%), females (76.44%), had bachelor's/graduate degrees (66.29%), and were from the Lowcountry coastal region of the state (85.26%). Obesity emerged as the greatest health concern, followed by poor diet and low physical activity. The top three priorities for cancer education were to learn about causes of cancer, strategies for healthy eating, and how to access healthcare. These findings could inform cancer education and intervention programs to address the top priority health needs identified by AA communities in South Carolina. They may also be relevant in other states, especially in rural southern parts of the USA.