Abstract B097: Capacity building and priority setting in Los Angeles’ rural communities: Developing the Antelope Valley Partnership for Health Equity

Abstract Background. Antelope Valley (AV) is a rural community in northern Los Angeles County (LAC) with approximately 390,938 people of whom are 45% Latino, 35% White, 16% Black, and 4% Asian. AV has the second highest Black population in LAC and estimated to die four years sooner than black residents elsewhere in LAC, which is nearly ten years earlier in general. AV has the greatest number of adults (16%) who smoke cigarettes compared to any other areas in LAC. Smoking increases the risk of lung, colorectal, and breast, which are the top three most prevalent cancers in the AV—12%, 16%, and 21% respectively. The AV is often overlooked and understudied, and factors contributing to high mortality, especially among black residents are not clearly understood. Impact. Methods. To address gaps, Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at Cedars Sinai Cancer convened an Antelope Valley Cancer Equity Partnership with 9 local health clinics, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and county department of public health to determine priorities and co-design interventions tailored for communities in the AV. Most of the partners were selected because they already have the infrastructure to provide cancer prevention services and education; however, we have also selected community organizations that aim to expand their prevention efforts in the Antelope Valley. These partners serve rural communities with low socioeconomic status and higher percentage of Black/African American population, a crucial aspect of our collaboration as these populations have higher cancer rates and limited resources. Results. Eight partners (n=8) completed a survey on priority setting for their communities. The top cancers identified are breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate. Key behavioral risk factors include tobacco use/smoking, poor diet/nutrition, andphysical inactivity. Major barriers to accessing cancer screening services are lack of awareness about screening programs, availability of cancer screening services, cultural beliefs or stigmas, financial constraints, and transportation issues. Suggested solutions involve training and deploying Community Health Workers (CHWs)/Navigators who are embedded within the community and tailoring health education workshops and materials. Conclusion. With community input from Antelope Valley Cancer Equity Partnership, Cedars Sinai COE aims to co-design tailored interventions specific to the most pressing needs of the AV communities by: 1) conducting neighborhood-level assessment through the Cancer Health in Los Angeles Survey (CHILAS); 2) training and deploying cancer navigators; and 3) bringing cancer awareness and screening services directly to residents via lung mobile health screenings, tobacco cessation, and cancer prevention interventions. Citation Format: Estefania Rodriguez, Lourdes Barajas, Reener Balingit, Zul Surani. Capacity building and priority setting in Los Angeles’ rural communities: Developing the Antelope Valley Partnership for Health Equity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B097.