Published in Cancer Detection and Prevention 1997; 21(6):510-521.

Factors Associated with Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Practices Among Vietnamese American Women

Stephen J McPhee MD, Susan Stewart PhD, Kaye C Brock PhD, Joyce A Bird PhD, Christopher NH Jenkins MA MPH., Giao Q Pham MD

Address all correspondence and reprint requests to: Stephen J. McPhee, MD, Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project, 44 Montgomery St., Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94104.

ABSTRACT: Purpose: To investigate predictors of breast and cervical cancer screening tests among Vietnamese women in California in preparation for developing and testing interventions to promote such screening. Methods: Cross-sectional telephone survey of 933 randomly selected Vietnamese women in four California counties. Results: Overall, 70% of the respondents had had at least one prior clinical breast examination, but only 30% had had a mammogram and 53% a Pap test. Among women who had been screened, more than two-thirds were up-to-date and among those who had not been screened, more than two-thirds were planning future tests. Factors positively associated with receipt of one or more of the tests included age (among women <40 years old), number of years in the United States, having ever married, and having health insurance. Factors negatively associated with test receipt included having a Vietnamese doctor, being unemployed, and being of Chinese-Vietnamese background. Conclusion: The multiple factors associated with utilization suggest intervention targets for promoting breast and cervical screening among new immigrant women. Increasing screening test receipt to recommended levels will require a two-pronged approach directed at both Vietnamese consumers and Vietnamese physicians.

KEY WORDS: breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, Vietnamese.

For more information, contact Steve_McPhee@UCSFDGIM.ucsf.edu

http://www.cancerprev.org/Journal/Issues/21/6/226