To increase colorectal cancer screening rates in Black and African American communities, a collaborative project was initiated between African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches and the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR).
This project aimed to empower AME church members in Atlanta, Georgia, to develop and share tailored messages that would raise awareness about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and increase screening rates. The project also sought to establish and strengthen partnerships between the AME community, local healthcare systems, and other community organizations.
Reports from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People 2022-2024 show that:
- Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Black and African Americans in the United States.
- Black and African American people are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups.
- Only about 65% of Black adults are up-to-date with potentially life-saving screening.
For many people, faith provides comfort when they seek appropriate health care, and their beliefs encourage them to take care of their bodies and health. In fact, recent market research from the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT) identified faith institutions as opportune settings for the trusted delivery of healthcare messages.
Specifically, the research found that:
- Most Black and African American respondents who were unscreened for colorectal cancer identified themselves as being at least somewhat religious.
- The majority of those who were very religious indicated their beliefs impacted their healthcare decisions, often in a positive and encouraging way.
Even still, while faith institutions and faith-based leaders provide an opportunity for healthcare information, only 1 in 5 survey respondents had received health information in a religious setting.
To learn more, access the ACS NCCRT Messaging Guidebook for Black & African American People.
To engage community members and gather input from AME congregants, the project used a process called Boot Camp Translation (BCT). BCT is a validated community-based participatory research strategy that creates locally relevant and culturally appropriate messages based on scientific health information.
The goals were to develop faith-based CRC screening messages that resonated with the AME community and to identify the role of the church in bringing CRC information to the AME community. To help develop effective messages through BCT, the team started with market-tested CRC screening messaging from the ACS NCCRT.
Participants included members of the AME Atlanta East District churches, aged 45 to 75 years, who were willing to participate in one 5-hour in-person meeting and two follow-up video-conferencing calls. The in-person session consisted of expert presentations by a national leader on CRC and screening, a local leader well-versed in barriers to screening and community resources, a prominent figure within the church clergy, and interactive small-group sessions to create messages and identify dissemination methods.
Theme 1: Incorporate faith-based concepts into colorectal cancer screening messaging.
- Faith over fear! Get screened for colorectal cancer today.
- Honor God by taking care of your body. Get screened for colorectal cancer today.
- Your faith, your health. Get screened for colorectal cancer today.
Listen to the gospel’s call to live whole and healing lives. Get screened for colorectal cancer today.
Theme 2: Increase colorectal cancer awareness and knowledge through personal connections.
- Share your cancer story. It can save lives.
- I need you to survive. Get screened for colorectal cancer today.
Theme 3: Empower individuals through the strength of their community.
- You are not alone. We are in this together.
- There is nothing we cannot talk about on a Sunday morning.
Preferred Church Delivery Channels
- Print materials (e.g., flyers, pamphlets, message cards) distributed at the service
- Digital materials (e.g., videos) shown during the service
- Email and newsletters
Preferred Community Delivery Channels
- Cancer awareness events
- Social media platforms
Trusted Messengers
- Black and African American men and women in positions of power
- Church leaders
- Fellow congregants
- Cancer survivors
The tailored CRC materials created through collaboration with the AME Church included pamphlets, fact sheets, message cards, and videos. View the Materials Here.
To further promote colorectal cancer screening among the AME church community, ACS convened a small group of key community partners and thought leaders for a Community Action Planning Summit, which included representatives from AME Church Leadership and congregations, local hospital systems, and community partner organizations.
The Community Action Planning Summit provided an opportunity to:
- Engage Community Partners: Foster partnerships among leaders in cancer screening to address disparities in the Atlanta community and catalyze change in the promotion and uptake of CRC screening.
- Identify Solutions: Engage in highly interactive conversations to identify solutions to overcome community-specific barriers to CRC screening.
- Establish Commitments: Establish tangible and feasible commitments for the coordinated execution of the shared community action plan throughout 2023-2024.
By leveraging critical connections between AME churches, local health systems, and other community partners and coalitions to implement this shared community action plan, the partners aim to increase colorectal cancer screening, reduce barriers to care, and improve screening intent among AME church community members.