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Exploring the Feasibility of a Cancer Awareness Program for High School Students in a Brazilian School: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality globally and is projected to be the primary cause of death in Brazil by 2030. Yet, for high school students, information and understanding about cancer are primarily offered through standard biology lessons. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a brief educational intervention related to cancer among high school students in a Brazilian private school. Participants attended a 1-h online session regarding different aspects of cancer. A self-reported questionnaire about the main topics addressed in the session was filled out before [pre] and after [post] the educational intervention and the results were compared by McNemar’s chi-square test. From 900 parents invited, 44 (4.9%) responded to the invitation and agreed with their children’s participation, and 24 students attended the activity. The questionnaire was easy to fill out for the students and allowed us to measure differences after the educational intervention. The high school students considered the most interesting topics cancer myths and protective/risk factors. The project was feasible and showed easy application and better knowledge after the educational intervention. The main challenge is related to the access to parents to authorize their children’s participation. Designing interventions that focus on cancer education might be a viable way to increase prevention and early diagnosis with implications for students, their families, and the community.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, APDL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais, Alameda Ezequiel Dias 275 – Centro, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130110, Brazil

    Ana Paula Drummond-Lage, Rafael Fagundes dos Anjos Araújo, Bruna Lorena Barboza Silva & Lorena Araújo Miranda

  2. Colégio Santo Agostinho Belo Horizonte, Avenida Amazonas 1803 – Santo Agostinho, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30180007, Brazil

    Caio Squarcio Poças & David Drummond Wainstein

  3. Faculdade Israelita Albert Einstein, Avenida Prof. Morato, 4293 – Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05521-200, Brazil

    David Drummond Wainstein

Authors
  1. Ana Paula Drummond-Lage
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  2. Rafael Fagundes dos Anjos Araújo
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  3. Caio Squarcio Poças
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  4. Bruna Lorena Barboza Silva
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  5. Lorena Araújo Miranda
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  6. David Drummond Wainstein
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Contributions

Ana Paula Drummond Lage: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, writing—review and editing, supervision. Rafael Fagundes: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing—original draft. Caio Squarcio Pouças: methodology, investigation, writing—original draft. Bruna Lorenza Barbosa: investigation, writing—original draft. Lorena Miranda: methodology, investigation, writing—original draft. David Drummond Wainstein: investigation, writing—original draft.

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Correspondence to Ana Paula Drummond-Lage.

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Drummond-Lage, A.P., Fagundes dos Anjos Araújo, R., Poças, C.S. et al. Exploring the Feasibility of a Cancer Awareness Program for High School Students in a Brazilian School: A Pilot Study. J Canc Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-024-02437-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-024-02437-6

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