Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Steve McPhee, MD¹, Ky Quoc Lai, MD, MPH¹, Khanh Quoc Le, MD, MPH¹, Tung Nguyen, MD¹, Ginny Gildengorin², and Thoa Nguyen¹. (1) Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143-0320, 476-4624, smcphee@medicine.ucsf.edu, (2) Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94143-0856

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cancer among Vietnamese women in California, yet rates of breast cancer screening tests (annual clinical breast examinations (CBE) and mammograms) among these women are low.

Methods: We worked with a coalition of Vietnamese community-based organizations (CBOs) in Santa Clara County, California to design and implement a Lay Health Worker Outreach (LHWO) intervention program for Vietnamese women. Over 3 years, we are recruiting 5 CBOs to train 50 LHWs who will, in turn, teach 1100 women about breast cancer, CBE and mammograms. The program trains LHWs about research, recruitment, outreach strategies, and beast canccer teaching methods. The first CBO recruited 10 LHWs who, in turn, recruited 220 women from their social networks. Participating women were randomized into intervention and control (delayed intervention) groups. LHWs organized small discussion groups and used culturally tailored materials to raise participants' awareness about breast cancer, CBE, and mammograms. Staff administered pre-and post-test telephone surveys of participants by telephone.

Results: Analysis of Year 1 data suggests that women who participated in the small groups became more aware of CBE and mammograms compared to control women. Participants also planned, scheduled, and obtained both CBE and mammograms. Additionally, the program produced a multiplier effect: LHWs and participants told family members, neighbors, classmates, friends and co-workers about breast cancer, CBE and mammograms.

Conclusion: LHWs use cultural knowledge, sensitivity, and social networks to reach underserved women in their communities. Researchers can work in partnership with community-based organizations to develop effective lay health worker outreach.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participants will

(
• Know that breast cancer is the leading cancer among Vietnamese women;
• Understand the design of a Lay Health Worker Outreach (LHWO) program;
• Understand the impact of LHWO to promote breast cancer screening among Vietnamese American women and (
• Understand community-based research issues relating to conduct of such an intervention.

Keywords: Breast Cancer Screening, Community-Based Health Promotion

Related Web page: www.suckhoelavang.org or www.healthisgold.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation