What are the researchers trying to accomplish in the PA-BCERF project?
Researchers estimate that 50% of breast cancer risk is related to environmental risk factors which may include pesticides, other chemicals, and diet and lifestyle factors. The PA-BCERF Project is designed to increase the accessibility and personal relevance of current risk factor information to rural women in Pennsylvania. The research component of the PA-BCERF Project will test the following three hypotheses: (1) women will alter their behaviors to reduce their risk of breast cancer if provided with clear and practical information about ways to reduce that risk, (2) those behaviors will more likely occur and be sustained where community health reinforcements or supports are most evident, and (3) women will use their interpersonal networks to share that information with family and friends.
