AN INNOVATIVE VIDEO APPROACH TO BREAST CANCER EDUCATION

BREAST CANCER, CURRENTLY THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES, IS CLEARLY A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. BECAUSE IT IS NOT YET KNOWN HOW TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER FROM OCCURING, THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY IS EARLY DETECTION. WHILE NUMEROUS EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE CAMPAIGNS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED TO ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO PRACTICE METHODS OF EARLY DETECTION, NO MORE THAN 40 PERCENT OF WOMEN PRACTICE BSE AND ONLY 17 PERCENT OF ALL WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF FIFTY HAVE HAD A MAMMOGRAM. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE RESEARCH ARE: (1) TO TARGET HARD-TO-REACH WOMEN NOT ORDINARILY EXPOSED TO GENERAL BREAST CANCER EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS; (2) TO ADDRESS WOMEN'S PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO PRACTICING EARLY DETECTION TECHNIQUES; AND (3) TO PROVIDE SUPPORT INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. THESE AIMS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THREE VIDEOTAPES, EACH FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MINUTES IN DURATION, TARGETED TO: (1) ASYNPTOMATIC AND SYMPTOMATIC WOMEN; (2) WOMEN NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER; AND (3) WOMEN POST PRIMARY TREATMENT AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE TASKS OF PHASE I CONSIST OF: (1) DEVELOPING THE CONTENT AREAS FOR EACH OF THE THREE VIDEOS; (2) DEVELOPING THE TREATMENT OF THE VIDEOTAPES; (3) REVIEW AND CRITICISM OF THE CONTENT AND TREATMENT BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE; AND (4) DEVELOPING PRODUCTION SCHEDULES FOR EARLY IN PHASE II. THE PRODUCT OF PHASE I WILL BE CONTENT OUTLINES AND TREATMENTS FOR THE THREE VIDEOTAPES, WITH DETAILED SCHEDULES FOR PRODUCTION IN PHASE II.