3007.0: Monday, November 13, 2000 - 12:30 PM

Abstract #16591

Preventing Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B radio outreach project for the Vietnamese community in Orange County

Tricia T. Nguyen, MPH, Health Promotion Department, Orange County Health Care Agency, 12 Civic Center Plaza, Ste. 127, Santa Ana, CA 92701, 714-834-2604, Trnguyen@hca.co.orange.ca.us

Vietnamese Americans are the fastest-growing Asian Pacific Islander ethnic group in the United States, with the largest numbers residing in Orange County, California. Staff is implementing the "Vietnamese Health Promotion Project Assessment" report’s recommendations published in March 1998, which include training health care providers, developing educational materials, collaborating with community organizations to conduct educational programs, and conducting media outreach. Overwhelmingly, key informants stated that radio was the most effective channel for providing health information. The Orange County Health Care Agency decided to conduct a radio outreach project on Hepatitis B since the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and death in the Vietnamese community within the United States is about 10 times greater than for the remainder of the United States population. Approximately one in seven Vietnamese is a chronic HBV carrier. The radio outreach project was conducted to help reduce the health disparities and also to increase hepatitis B immunization rates among the Vietnamese Americans. Simultaneously, the Orange County Health Care Agency work in collaboration with the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance to provide a hepatitis B in Asian and Pacific Islander communities training for health care providers to improve on their cultural and linguistic competencies.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify potential community health promotion programs in the Vietnamese American community
  2. Improve cultural and linguistic competency of community health care providers

Keywords: Hepatitis B,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment and grant

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA