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Abstract
This study examines how the cultural factor of attitudinal familism in the Latino community might be used in print messages to increase intention to screen for colorectal cancer. To understand how this trait might enhance these messages, a sample of Latinos (n=93) ages 49-86 was randomly assigned to either a family-focused print intervention or standard translated print information. The results did not show an increased intention to screen in the intervention group over the control group. A test for mediation found no relationship between the psychological variable of negative screening emotions and attitudinal familism. And there was no increased intention to screen among those who had higher attitudinal familism over those who had lower attitudinal familism. Factors such as the preference for Spanish Language and having insurance shed light on the importance of including culture in such health communication information about the disease. High reliabilities of measurement scales may have use for future research. The overall increase in the intention to screen suggests that a cultural factor such as familism should be considered in the design of cancer screening messages.