Chi gung: a community-based strategy in Chinese immigrant women to improve colorectal and breast cancer screening.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Research: Cancer screening disparities in Chinese immigrant women (CIW) is an understudied area of health equity. CIW are underserved and face several system-, provider-, and patient-level barriers to healthcare. Colorectal (CRC) and breast cancer (BC) are the main causes of preventable cancer death in CIW. While

screening is effective in reducing mortality from these cancers, CRC and BC screening uptake by CIW is substantially lower than in other groups and well below Healthy People 2030 benchmarks. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a multi-component, community-based intervention (‘Chi gung’) in CIW by

adapting the Filipino Health Study, an NCI Evidence-Based Cancer Control Program improving CRC screening in Filipino Americans. Our specific aims are to: 1) Develop Chi gung by adapting and enhancing the Filipino Health Study to support CRC and BC screening in CIW and 2) Conduct a pilot RCT to assess the feasibility

and preliminary impact of Chi gung on CRC and BC screening in CIW. To accomplish these aims, we will employ a community-engaged design. Qualitative findings from focus groups with community stakeholders and individual interviews with CIW will guide the development of Chi gung, which will be iteratively refined through

additional semi-structured interviews and evaluated for feasibility and preliminary impact in a pilot RCT. Candidate: Dr. Christina Wang aims to become an independent patient-oriented investigator who advances cancer screening disparities research and improves health equity for medically underserved communities. Dr.

Wang’s proposed training activities are in four areas: 1) qualitative methodology; 2) development of community-engaged interventions; 3) RCT design and evaluation; and 4) career development (e.g., manuscript and grant writing, leadership skills). To achieve these goals, she has assembled a multi-disciplinary mentoring

team. Dr. Lin, her primary mentor, is an accomplished clinician-investigator with qualitative expertise who has focused on disease management and illness beliefs in ethnically diverse breast cancer survivors. Dr. Wisnivesky, her co-primary mentor, is a health services researcher with a focus on cancer prevention,

comparative effectiveness research, and RCT design and implementation. Her co-mentors include Dr. Itzkowitz, a national leader in CRC prevention, Dr. Mazumdar, expert in biostatistics, and Ms. Jandorf who has expertise in community-based CRC and BC screening interventions. Her advisor, Dr. Diefenbach, will provide

expertise in cancer-related health communication. Environment: The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has a strong tradition of outstanding research and the Department of Medicine is ranked 12th nationwide in NIH funding. The Division of Gastroenterology is consistently ranked among the top 15 divisions by US News and

World Report and is nationally renowned for pioneering research and clinical care in gastrointestinal cancer. The Division of General Internal Medicine has a well-established research infrastructure with an exceptionally strong record of successful and well-funded, mentored and independent investigators.