Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108350

Ethan E. Bodle¹, Nadia S. Islam, MA², Simona Kwon, MPH³, Naseem Zojwalla, MD³, Habibul Ahsan, MD⁴, and Ruby Senie, PhD³. (1) Mailman School of Public Health / AANCART, Columbia University, 722 W 168th Street, Room 732, New York, NY 10032-3784, (212) 305-9079, eeb72@columbia.edu, (2) Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., 7th Floor, Rm 732, New York, NY 10032, (3) AANCART, Columbia University, 622 W. 168th St., PH 18-201G, New York City, NY 10032, (4) Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., 7th Floor, Rm 732, New York, NY 10032

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated that cancer screening rates are lower in many Asian American communities than in the general U.S. population. While several studies have examined health knowledge and beliefs of patients as predictors of screening, few have investigated physician practice characteristics within these communities. METHODS: Asian American primary care physicians practicing in New York City (NYC) were identified from state licensing registries or involvement in Asian American medical meetings. Each physician was provided a 5-minute questionnaire on demographics, practice characteristics and which cancer screenings they perform or recommend, with respect to their Asian American patients. The results from eligible respondents (N = 120) were analyzed in comparison with published rates of cancer screening. RESULTS: While 96% of the NYC Asian physicians (Chinese, Korean and South Asian) recommend mammograms, only 69% recommended mammography to patients 40-49 years as suggested by most published guidelines. Conformance with Pap smear guidelines was lower with only 31% starting Pap smears based on age or onset of sexual activity. Only 77% and 67% recommend fecal occult blood testing and endoscopy (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy), respectively, for colorectal cancer screening. About 69% recommended screening for chronic hepatitis B infection. Ethnicity and gender of the physician, as well as the proportion of patients seen who are uninsured or who are Asian were significant predictors (p<0.05) of conformance with screening guidelines. INTERPRETATION: In addition to addressing patient-centered barriers to cancer screening in minority groups, efforts directed at physician-centered barriers could substantially improve preventive health in Asian American communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize potential deficiencies in cancer screening recommendations in the South Asian American community.
• Identify physician-centered barriers to recommending cancer screening in accord with established guidelines.
• Discuss points of intervention for public health programs to improve cancer screening in Asian American at-risk populations.

Keywords: Asian Americans, Cancer Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.