Excessive Weight, Breast Cancer, and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Findings From Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) With Environmental Vitality

Primary Objectives:

Excessive body weight, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and breast cancer are interconnected through disruptions in hormone balance, with notable disparities in risk and outcomes for under-resourced communities. Under-resourced communities face compounding risks including aggressive late-stage diagnoses and healthcare access barriers that contribute to elevated breast cancer mortality. This proposal engages participants from the Acres Homes community and surrounding neighborhoods, including Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) participants, breast cancer survivors not enrolled in ALAC, and family members to assess knowledge and interest in environmental exposure education focused on personal care products, supporting development of the ALAC with Environmental Vitality (ALAC-ENV) intervention and examine associations between prevalent EDCs and excessive weight for breast cancer survivors and their family members.

Specific Aim 1: Determine survivors' and family members' environmental exposure knowledge. Participants (n=30) will participate in interviews to assess their interest and understanding of environmental exposures with an emphasis on personal care products.

Specific Aim 2: Determine the relationship between exposures to prevalent EDCs and BMI. A cross-sectional design to examine associations between BMI and measurements of non-persistent EDCs in urine and wristband samples of cancer survivors and family members.

Findings will inform an R-level grant to develop a randomized trial testing the efficacy of an adapted ALAC-ENV curriculum for dissemination and implementation in community settings, as well as foundation grant support fora cross-sectional study examining the association between body mass index, EDC exposure, and cancer in Acres Homes within the context of non-medical drivers of health.