Diet, Colon Cancer, and Cancer Communications

University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application describes a career development/transition plan for Jessie A. Satia, PhD, MPH, a newly appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The candidate's overall career goal is to establish an interdisciplinary research career combining her background in epidemiology, nutrition, and laboratory sciences to conduct methodologic, observational, and intervention studies of diet and human cancers. In particular, she would like to conduct studies to identify risk factors for cancer and design appropriate interventions for prevention and control in minority and underserved populations. The candidate proposes a career development plan that includes: teaching and mentoring students; submitting research manuscripts and pilot project proposals; and a research plan (75% of her effort) with two proposed projects. [unreadable] [unreadable] Project 1 titled "Cancer Communications among African American Adolescents" aims to collect information necessary to design diet-related cancer prevention messages for African American adolescents; and evaluate the effectiveness of messages framed in different ways on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to improve diet in this population. Qualitative methods will be used to collect information on various factors that affect dietary behavior among African American adolescents (14 to 16 years) in Durham, NC. This information will then be used to design messages focused on lowering dietary fat intake in this population that will be delivered via the Internet. Participants will be randomized into four groups based on Prospect theory and message framing, and will complete pre- and post-tests and cognitive interviews to assess the short-term impact of the framed messages. [unreadable] [unreadable] Project 2, "Diet and Colon Cancer in African Americans and Whites in North Carolina" describes proposed analyses using previously collected data from a study of 654 colon cancer cases (40-80 years) and 1067 population-based controls, with equal numbers of African Americans and whites, in a 33-county area of North Carolina. The specific aims of the analyses proposed here are to examine effects of dietary factors (e.g., fat, fruits, vegetables, antioxidants, fiber, alcohol, and total calories) and food intake patterns (meal frequency and snacking timing) on colon cancer risk. Potential future research opportunities using biological specimens from this study are described. [unreadable] [unreadable] The long-term success of cancer research efforts rests, in part, on building the career of talented young faculty. Obtaining this award will greatly broaden and strengthen the candidate's focus on cancer prevention and control.