The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

5056.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 8:52 AM

Abstract #51626

Forming effective outreach strategies for immigrant Asian American women in breast health program

Jenny Yi, PhD, MPH, University of Houston, 3855 Holman St., Houston, TX 77204, 713-743-9841, Jyi@uh.edu

Previous studies have indicated that Asian American women in the United States underutilize breast cancer screening procedures. Despite the fact that Asian Americans comprise more than 5% of the Houston population, few breast cancer prevention programs have been designed for this population and little is known about breast cancer screening knowledge and practices among Asian American women in this urban center. Current breast cancer campaigns have contributed to the increasing utilization of breast cancer screening services among minority women. However, these campaigns are not reaching immigrant Asian American women. Understanding how immigrant Asian American women perceive and react to breast cancer screening is critical in the design of a culturally appropriate intervention program. With a culturally sensitive program in place, acceptability of breast cancer screening services should increase. For programs to be successful, program planners should pay close attention to a number of factors when developing breast cancer prevention programs for immigrant Asian American women. These factors include: 1) socioeconomic differences in breast cancer screening behaviors, 2) the social and cultural meaning of breast cancer, and 3) differing perceptions about the appropriateness of different types of program delivery modalities. The purpose of this presentation is to identify the barriers to effective breast cancer education for immigrant Asian American women and to discuss how we can overcome those barriers. This presentation will highlight success stories on how immigrant Asian American women have been effectively recruited and which have resulted in the formation of strong partnerships between the research sponsoring institution and the Asian American community.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Breast Cancer Programs, Asian Women

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.

Medical Care Section Solicited Papers #6: Health Care of Immigrant Women - What Has Gone Well?

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA