Abstract IA040: Cancer risk education in schools for youth and families

Abstract The rise in cancer incidence among younger adults (ages 20-39) in NYC is currently outpacing the increase across the rest of the US (96.9 vs. 89.5 per 100,000). However, the burden of cancer in NYC is not equally distributed. In NYC's poorest neighborhoods, the rates of preventable cancers, such as cervical cancer, is 73% higher compared to the wealthiest neighborhoods. The magnitude of this disparity exceeds those associated with Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, or residence in a rural county documented in a previous population-based study of the US. Rather, it is likely the persistent poverty in these neighborhoods that drives cancer disparities. Despite these known facts, there remains limited research on multi-level and multi-generational approaches that address the impact of persistent poverty on youth and young adults' current and future cancer risk behaviors. Effective cancer education interventions in schools could significantly impact health-promoting intentions and cancer risk behaviors in younger adults. To date, most school-based intervention studies have been limited. The need for this research is especially salient in NYC, the most populous city in the United States, with nearly 2 million New Yorkers under 18. This study will evaluate the implementation of a co-developed cancer risk education curriculum integrated into the science classrooms of six NYC public schools (n=906 students), taught by the school's grade-level science teacher. All teachers will be trained on the curriculum by the study team. The intervention is guided by the Self-Determination and youth empowerment theory, thus, it will leverage the natural desire of youth to be socially conscious, autonomous individuals who can be effective agents of social change. The intervention aims to: 1) increase students’ intention to engage in at least one health-promoting behavior (e.g., drink less or no sugary beverages) in the next month as a predictor of actual behavior change; and 2) increase cancer risk communication between the student and a caregiver. Additionally, we will explore the impact of increased cancer risk communication on the health-promoting behaviors of at least one caregiver in the household. Assessments of students will be conducted at baseline and within 4 weeks of completing the curriculum. Caregivers will also be assessed within the same 4-week period after curriculum completion. The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework will also be used to evaluate implementation. Citation Format: Alia Komsany, Jared Fox, Rosio G. Ramos, Tashara Leak, Mary Beth G. Terry, Jazmin G. McDonald, Erica G. Phillips. Cancer risk education in schools for youth and families [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr IA040.