Isabelle Schroeder, from Odebolt, Iowa, has been selected to conduct research for Drake University. Isabelle will be a senior at Drake and is majoring in Clinical and Medical Sciences. She will be applying for medical school at the end of the summer and her ultimate goal is to return to her rural community to practice medicine. Having been raised in a rural community, and also having a family history of cancer, this research is very important to her.
Despite decreases in cancer death rates nationwide, there is a slower reduction in cancer death rates in rural America compared to urban America (CDC, 2018). A report recently released from the Iowa Cancer Registry shows that Iowa is projected to have the second highest incidence rate of cancer cases in the country this year (Iowa Cancer Registry, 2021). While it’s not clear why Iowa’s cancer rates are higher than the majority of the country’s, it could be attributed to their rurality and agricultural risk factors. This research project will explore preventative and risky behaviors for cancer among Iowa farmers. The aim of this study is not only to gather valuable information, but to also increase awareness among farmers to ultimately reduce cancer death rates.
Isabelle is asking for all farmers who are willing to participate in her research to complete an anonymous and confidential health survey. Farmers can complete this survey by entering the following link or scanning this QR code.
