One in 7 Vietnamese-Americans is a carrier of the hepatitis B virus and 2% of all Vietnamese-Americans die from hepatitis B-related liver disease. Despite the availability of a hepatitis B vaccine, hepatitis B immunization rates among Vietnamese children >age 3 have been low. We evaluated the effectiveness of two different 2-year interventions to promote hepatitis B immunizations among these children in a controlled trial in Houston and Dallas, Texas. The Washington, D.C. area served as a control community. In Houston we mounted a Vietnamese-language print (newspaper advertisements and articles, distribution of brochures and calendars), electronic (radio advertisements), and outdoor (billboards) media campaign. In Dallas we contracted with a Vietnamese community-based organization to convene a community coalition to promote hepatitis B immunizations but provided no funding to support media activities. To measure effectiveness, we conducted Vietnamese-language telephone interviews of 500 randomly-selected Vietnamese households each in Houston, Dallas and the Washington, D.C. area at both pretest and posttest. At pretest, rates of having 3 hepatitis B vaccinations in Dallas ranged from 13.6% to 24.1%, in Houston from 10.3% to 26.4%, and in Washington, D.C. from 18.1% to 37.8%. We will present posttest results and multiple logistic regression models to explain the relative effectiveness of each intervention in comparison to each other and to the control community. These results will help to define interventions which may be replicated in other Vietnamese communities to promote "catch-up" hepatitis B immunizations among Vietnamese children aged 3 to 18.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this paper, participants will be able to: 1. Recognize the urgency for "catch-up" hepatitis B immunization of Vietnamese children. 2. Identify successful interventions to promote hepatitis B immunizations among Vietnamese children
Keywords: Hepatitis B, Refugees
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project,
University of California, San Francisco
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.