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

Abstract #108378

Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, MPH¹, Jacqueline Tran², Ka'ala Pang³, Swan Cheng, MPH⁴, Alice Bae, BA⁵, Carol Wang⁴, Wendy Yoo⁵, and Travers Yoshio Ichinose, MS, MA⁶. (1) Kinesiology and Health Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, PO Box 6870, Fullerton, CA 92834-6870, (2) Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, 12900 Garden Grove Blvd, #214A, Garden Grove, CA 92843, (3) Pacific Islander Health Partnership/OCAPICA, 12900 Garden Grove Blvd, Suite 214A, Garden Grove, CA 92843, 7146369095, kaiwispace@yahoo.com, (4) Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center, 850 N. Birch Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701, (5) Orange County Korean American Health Information & Education Center, 9636 Garden Grove Blvd, #20, Garden Grove, CA 92844, (6) Health Promotion Division, Orange County Health Care Agency, 405 W. 5th St., Ste. 211, Santa Ana, CA 92701

Orange County is home to the fourth largest population of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S., yet very few AAPI communities have been involved in participatory action research efforts to identify their own health needs to promote community-based program planning. We undertook a PAR-driven needs assessment to understand the breast and cervical cancer control knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and needs for four AAPI populations: Chinese, Hawaiians, Koreans and Marshallese. Five community based agencies and one university participated in the planning and implementation of all aspects of the needs assessment. Trained, bilingual community interviewers recruited a total of 600 women age 18 years and older via a random sampling plan stratified by community and by site. Data management and analyses were coordinated by the university partner, and results revealed significant needs regarding breast and cervical cancer knowledge (including risk factors and symptoms), beliefs about cancer, attitudes toward screening, and regular screening to increase early detection and follow-up of abnormal cases. Lessons learned regarding PAR will be discussed in order to increase successful efforts for the future.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Articulate the primary characteristics of participatory action research
• Apply PAR to cancer needs assessment for Asians and Pacific Islanders
• Identify the outcomes of PAR needs assessment for health promotion program planning for Chinese, Koreans, Hawaiians and Marshallese

Keywords: Asian and Pacific Islander, 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.