Blue Star Healthy Colon Initiative

IMPACT. 1: Colon cancer screening is recommended for everyone 50 and over. Although, less than 42% of Meigs County residents age 50 and over have been screened for colon cancer in the last five years. -- 2. An inflatable walk-through colon (Super Colon) will be exhibited to provide an interactive educational tool at the Meigs County Fair on August 15 and Racine Party in the Park on September 14. -- 3. Personalized wellness plans will be provided for at least 100 residents in Meigs County at high-risk for colon cancer including suggestions to help prevent and detect colon cancer.OSU PARTNERS: Comprehensive Cancer Center; College of Medicine; College of Nursing; School of Communications; Buckeyes without Borders; OSU Extension - Meigs CountyCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Meigs County Cancer Initiative; Meigs County Health Department; Appalachia Community Cancer NetworkPRIMARY CONTACT: Darla Fickle ([email protected])The occurrence of colorectal cancer in Meigs County is 17.6% higher than that for Ohio, and death from colorectal cancer in Meigs County is 35% higher than Ohio. The Blue Star Healthy Colon Initiative will increase knowledge about prevention and early detection of colon cancer among adult residents in Meigs County. This collaborative effort will: - Raise awareness about the burden of colon cancer - Provide education on prevention and early detection of colon cancer - Develop personalized wellness plans for residents at risk for colon cancer - Encourage participation in classes through OSU Extension to help residents adopt a healthy lifestyle

Putting Healthy Food on the Table

IMPACT. 1: Vinton County residents have very limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This project will hold gardening classes, and establish a community garden and container gardening to increase access to produce. -- 2. Many local residents need to travel 25 miles to reach the closest grocery store. To help maximize shopping trips, this project will provide education on meal planning, budgeted shopping and making healthy food selections. -- 3. Elevated rates of some cancers in Vinton County are associated with dietary behaviors. To encourage healthy food options in homes, this project will provide education sessions on canning and freezing.OSU PARTNERS: Appalachia Community Cancer Network; Comprehensive Cancer Center; OSU ExtensionCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Project Task Force Members; 4-H; Vinton County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Community Garden Farmers Markets & Farm Stands; Gardening Experts; Local MediaPRIMARY CONTACT: Darla Fickle ([email protected])Vinton County is a rural Appalachian county designated as a "food desert" with no full-service grocery store, thus limiting access to nutritious and affordable foods. This project will establish a community garden, initiatiate container gardening and provide education on producing, purchasing, preparing and preserving fruits and vegetables, thereby increasing year-round access for children and adults in Vinton County

Blue Star Healthy Colon Initiative

IMPACT. 1: This collaborative effort has: Raised awareness about the burden of colon cancer. Provided education on prevention and early detection of colon cancer. Displayed an interactive exhibit to discuss healthy colon tissue and colon cancer -- 2. This initiative held two community events at the Meigs County Fair (Aug. '13) and Powell's Food Fair (April '14) with the following results: Nurses guided more than 330 people through the inflatable walk-through colon. More than 120 people received individually-tailored wellness plans. Post-tour surveys showed significant increase in knowledge about colon cancer and colon cancer screening. People reported they were more likely to get a colon cancer screening and talk to their doctor about colon cancer.OSU PARTNERS: Comprehensive Cancer Center; College of Medicine; College of Nursing; School of Communications; Buckeyes without Borders; OSU Extension - Meigs CountyCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Meigs County Cancer Initiative; Meigs County Health Department; Appalachia Community Cancer NetworkPRIMARY CONTACT: Darla Fickle ([email protected])The occurrence of colorectal cancer in Meigs County is 17.6% higher than that for Ohio, and death from colorectal cancer in Meigs County is 35% higher than Ohio. The Blue Star Healthy Colon Initiative was designed to teach people about the risks, symptoms, prevention, and early detection of colon cancer among adult residents in Meigs County

Putting Healthy Food on the Table

IMPACT. 1: Vinton County residents have very limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This project will hold gardening classes, and establish a community garden and container gardening to increase access to produce. -- 2. Many local residents need to travel 25 miles to reach the closest grocery store. To help maximize shopping trips, this project will provide education on meal planning, budgeted shopping and making healthy food selections. -- 3. Elevated rates of some cancers in Vinton County are associated with dietary behaviors. To encourage healthy food options in homes, this project will provide education sessions on canning and freezing.OSU PARTNERS: Appalachia Community Cancer; Network; Comprehensive Cancer Center; OSU ExtensionCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Project Task Force Members; 4-H; Vinton County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Community Garden Farmers Markets & Farm Stands; Gardening Experts; Local MediaPRIMARY CONTACT: Travis West ([email protected]); Kate Homonal ([email protected]); Darla Fickle ([email protected])Vinton County is a rural Appalachian county designated as a "food desert" with no full-service grocery store, thus limiting access to nutritious and affordable foods. This project will establish a community garden, initiate container gardening and provide education on producing, purchasing, preparing and preserving fruits and vegetables, thereby increasing year-round access for children and adults in Vinton County

Development of a Multilevel Intervention to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Appalachia

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are lower in Appalachian regions of the United States than in non-Appalachian regions. Given the availability of various screening modalities, there is critical need for culturally relevant interventions addressing multiple socioecological levels to reduce the regional CRC burden. In this report, we describe the development and baseline findings from year 1 of “Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) in Appalachia,” a 5-year, National Cancer Institute Cancer MoonshotSM-funded multilevel intervention (MLI) project to increase screening in Appalachian Kentucky and Ohio primary care clinics. Methods Project development was theory-driven and included the establishment of both an external Scientific Advisory Board and a Community Advisory Board to provide guidance in conducting formative activities in two Appalachian counties: one in Kentucky and one in Ohio. Activities included identifying and describing the study communities and primary care clinics, selecting appropriate evidence-based interventions (EBIs), and conducting a pilot test of MLI strategies addressing patient, provider, clinic, and community needs. Results Key informant interviews identified multiple barriers to CRC screening, including fear of screening, test results, and financial concerns (patient level); lack of time and competing priorities (provider level); lack of reminder or tracking systems and staff burden (clinic level); and cultural issues, societal norms, and transportation (community level). With this information, investigators then offered clinics a menu of EBIs and strategies to address barriers at each level. Clinics selected individually tailored MLIs, including improvement of patient education materials, provision of provider education (resulting in increased knowledge, p = .003), enhancement of electronic health record (EHR) systems and development of clinic screening protocols, and implementation of community CRC awareness events, all of which promoted stool-based screening (i.e., FIT or FIT-DNA). Variability among clinics, including differences in EHR systems, was the most salient barrier to EBI implementation, particularly in terms of tracking follow-up of positive screening results, whereas the development of clinic-wide screening protocols was found to promote fidelity to EBI components. Conclusions Lessons learned from year 1 included increased recognition of variability among the clinics and how they function, appreciation for clinic staff and provider workload, and development of strategies to utilize EHR systems. These findings necessitated a modification of study design for subsequent years. Trial registration Trial NCT04427527 is registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov and was registered on June 11, 2020

Putting Healthy Food on the Table

“Putting Healthy Food on the Table” addresses food insecurity by conducting healthy eating and gardening classes, creating a community garden, establishing container gardens, sponsoring outreach efforts at farmers’ markets and farm stands, and teaching skills to preserve fruits and vegetables through canning and freezing. “Putting Healthy Food on the Table” is a collaborative effort of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Appalachia Community Cancer Network, Vinton County Extension and local stakeholders. This project encourages healthy eating through programming, thereby increasing access to healthy fruits and vegetables among residents. This effort translates cancer prevention research findings about fruits and vegetables to the community, and gathers effective engagement strategies about rural food deserts to assist in future research efforts in Appalachia. Vinton County is designated as a “distressed county, with escalating unemployment, increasing poverty rates, decreasing access to food, and geographic isolation; putting these residents at risk for poorer food choices and less varied diets. This county was already classified as a “food desert even before the only full service grocery store closed in 2013. With no public transportation and farther travel distance, it’s now even more difficult for residents to get to a grocery store for fruit, vegetables and other healthy food options