As an occupational group, teachers have higher rates of breast cancer. It is not known what the risk factors are for this elevated risk. However, the result is increased anxiety and confusion among teachers. This work concentrates on improving our understanding of how teachers understand, explain, and cope with the knowledge of increased risk.

Little is known about how individuals cope with the knowledge of increased risk from a health hazard. In this case many teachers are not yet aware of the increased risk of breast cancer. How will they react when they become aware of the significant increase in risk teachers face?
By better understanding teachers knowledge, and beliefs, sources of information and explanations of the risk, improved communication messages and strategies can be designed to help teachers understand and cope with this health risk.

In addition to preparing articles for professional research journals (alerting other professionals with the intent of providing information for improving communication to other teacher groups) this project worked with the New York state teachers union to distribute initial information to alert teachers and help them better understand the risk.

As a result of this project teachers have received information through two different channels. The first was awareness information presented at the New York teachers union meeting and the second was through a state-wide newsletter distributed to all teachers and support personnel.
As a result of this project, we now have a better understanding of how teachers cope, what they understand and how they explain their increased risk. This makes in possible to better design communication messages and strategies to help improve teacher`s understanding about this risk.

• Carmi Orenstein (BCERF)
• Carol Devine (Nutrition)
• Sukriti Issar (Brown University)
• Cecilia Lum (Communication)
• Zheng Yang (Communication)