Kami Silk, Evan Perrault, Allyson Rogers, Lindsay Neuberger, & Sam Nazione

1. Development of a Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Website: Translating the Environmental Risk Factor Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Kami Silk, Evan Perrault, Allyson Rogers, Lindsay Neuberger, & Sam Nazione Michigan State University • Problem: PFOA as a Risk Factor • PFOA is a man-made chemical found in a lot of the things we use on a daily basis, including oil, stain, grease, and water resistant products. Found in the blood of most people, an EPA science advisory board classified PFOA as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” It has already been found to cause tumors in animals. • The time when young girls are rapidly growing (pre-adolescence) is also a time when they, and their developing breast tissues, are very susceptible to environmental toxins like PFOA. Exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals during this time frame could increase their risk of developing breast cancer in the future. • PFOA is a chemical that can be avoided, yet most people don’t know about it and its potential impact on the health of their daughters. • Solution: Translation & Interactivity • Low literate people have lagged behind more literate individuals in cancer control procedures. Research shows that translating complex scientific information into simpler, more palatable pieces of information can lead to higher comprehension scores for both high and low literate people. • The inclusion of interactive videos can also enhance comprehension; it doesn’t just tell information to people, but can show it as well, acting to reinforce the printed material. • To increase knowledge and raise awareness of PFOA and its possible link to breast cancer. We do this by creating a simple to read and navigate website (≈ 9th grade reading level), combined with interactive videos, about the dangers of PFOA, and steps mothers can take to avoid it in their daughter’s daily lives. • Results • H1: Higher scientific literacy is related to knowledge (NS) • H2: There will be higher severity, susceptibility, and efficacy for the interactive video condition(NS) • Methods • The pilot study (N=87) took place at a large Midwestern university where college students (69% female; Mean age: 20) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a website that contained interactive videos, or a website that was text-based but contained the same information as the pages with the videos. The students were then asked to fill out a survey a day after viewing the website. Measures included: scientific literacy, knowledge, preference, behavioral intention, severity, susceptibility, self and response efficacy and norms. See Below for Scales Used • Interesting Findings • When asked to recall what products contained PFOA, 77% of participants were able to identify at least one product • Mixed responses when participants were asked what was influencing their level of concern for developing breast cancer, examples: • Limitations and Future Research • Limitations • Low sample size • Need a stronger manipulation to test interactivity hypothesis • Low involvement of current pre-test participants • Future Research • Increase sample size and include mothers with daughters • This audience will likely have a high level of involvement, which we believe will then lead to a different finding for H2. Increased internet usage is an objective of Healthy People 2020. Because of this, there needs to be more research conducted on websites like this one that attempts to meld translated scientific cancer information with interactive components. “I am more concerned because of the common places it is found (pizza boxes, hamburger wrappers, etc.)” “I haven't heard of this before, so I figured it couldn't be too dangerous” “I feel that you can get cancer from anything these days” “Not concerned, I don’t have any kids yet and it seems like it’s more of a concern for young women "pre-puberty" Likeability, Behavioral Intention, Susceptibility and Severity all used Likert scales ranging from 1 (strongly agree) through 7 (strongly disagree). Knowledge was scored using true, false and unsure (1, 2, and 3 respectively) This research was made possible by the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers grant number 1-U01-ES12800 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, DHHS. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS, NCI, or NIH.