Abstract
Problem Identification
Breast cancer disparities persist among Black women in North Highlands, CA, leading to higher mortality rates. Socio-economic factors and healthcare barriers exacerbate these disparities, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Analysis
Overcoming barriers to screening and combating high mortality rates underscores the urgency of addressing the fear surrounding preventative services, particularly in the face of institutional racism and socio-historical contexts. Building robust community bonds and ensuring access to affordable services are vital steps in this process. Trusted referrals and positive community influences play a pivotal role in overcoming these obstacles. Ultimately, fostering community trust is indispensable for boosting screening utilization and ultimately lowering mortality rates.
Intervention Proposal
BraveTogether proposes addressing fear within a supportive community, facilitating connections with local physicians, and advocating for structural changes to improve screening rates and reduce mortality through both health education and policy approaches. By acknowledging fear and the lack of access to Black female physicians, BraveTogether aims to fill these gaps and improve early breast cancer screening rates and outcomes for Black women in North Highlands, California.
Implementation and Evaluation
The BraveTogether team comprises lead researchers, program coordinators, and a digital marketing specialist. Collaborations with partners like Faith Fellowship and Carrie’s TOUCH aim to enhance community connections and access to preventive care. Additionally, BraveTogether will form a coalition to advocate for accessible screening resources in North Highlands through securing grant funding. Evaluation methods involve using validated instruments to assess changes in fear, social support, and knowledge of preventive resources, utilizing an experimental design to compare outcomes between experimental and control groups.