These findings emphasize the need to disaggregate data for South Asians and suggest that tobacco control interventions should target specific segments of the population (men, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis). Interventions to decrease use of smokeless tobacco products are especially warranted for South Asians.
Although the third largest Asian subgroup in the U.S., South Asians have rarely been included in cancer research. The purpose of this study was to assess rates and correlates of cancer screening in a community sample of South Asians. This study was a collaboration between the UCLA School of Public Health and South Asian Network (SAN), a social service organization in Southern California. Data were collected from 344 adults including a substantial portion of immigrants and individuals with low income and education. Few participants received screening within guidelines for colorectal (25%), breast (34%), cervical (57%) and prostate cancer (10%). Health insurance, younger age and increased length of stay in the U.S. predicted a higher likelihood of cancer screening. Women were significantly less likely to have received colorectal cancer screening compared to men. These results will guide SAN's program planning efforts. Future interventions should focus on increasing cancer screening in this population.
Lung cancer screening with LDCT in a minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, high-risk population is feasible but may yield a different lung cancer profile than screening populations in more privileged communities. More follow-up time is required to determine whether the reduction in lung cancer mortality shown in the NLST applies to this underserved population.
Pacific Islander (PI) populations of Southern California experience high obesity and low physical activity levels. Given PI’s rich cultural ties, efforts to increase physical activity using a community tailored strategy may motivate members in a more sustainable manner. In this paper, we: 1) detail the program adaptation methodology that was utilized to develop the Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (WINCART) Center’s PI Let’s Move Program, a culturally-tailored program aimed to increase physical activity levels among members of PI organizations in Southern California, and 2) share the program’s pilot evaluation results on individual and organizational changes. The WINCART Center applied the National Cancer Institute’s program adaptation guidelines to tailor the evidence-based Instant Recess program to fit the needs of PIs. The end product, the PI Let’s Move Program, was piloted in 2012 with eight PI organizations, reaching 106 PI adults. At baseline, 52% of participants reported that they were not physically active, with the average number of days engaged in medium-intensity physical activity at 2.09 days/week. After the 2-month program, participants increased the number of days that they engaged in medium-intensity physical activity from 2.09 to 2.90 days/week. Post-pilot results found that 82% of participants reported intentions to engage in physical activity for at least the next six months. At baseline, only one organization was currently implementing a physical activity program, and none had implemented an evidence-based physical activity program tailored for PIs. After the 2-month timeframe, despite varying levels of capacity, all eight organizations were able to successfully implement the program. In conclusion, results from our program provide evidence that disparity populations, such as PIs, can be successfully reached through programs that are culturally tailored to both individuals and their community organizations.
Background: Breast cancer screening rates among Korean American women lag behind other populations in the US; additionally, this population has the lowest mammography adherence rates of all the Asian subgroups. The rates of invasive breast cancer among Korean women in Los Angeles County (LAC) have also increased dramatically, which leads to poor outcomes. Early detection of breast cancer provides a greater range of treatment options and often better survival rates. Given this, we want to understand the unique barriers that Korean women in LAC face in order to adequately serve our catchment area. Methods: To understand the context of cancer screening compliance among Koreans in LAC, the Research Center for Health Equity (RCHE) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center conducted a culturally adapted survey within its catchment area. We developed a Cancer and Healthcare in Los Angeles Survey (CHILAS) with feedback from Korean community leaders. The survey targeting females has 31 questions and covers screening behavior, medical history, and health care access. The survey was adapted with feedback from Korean community leaders and printed in the Korean language. A free cancer education workshop was offered post survey. For the purposes of the current analyses, we focused on participants were Korean women >= 18 yrs who reside in LAC. Surveys were administered at seven different faith-based venues, such as churches and Buddhist temples, during a three-month period. Results: 126 female participants were age eligible (age 45 and above) to answer the mammography screening cancer question and 52 (41.3%) of them had their screening up to date. 113 participants answered both the question about mammography screening and knowing someone with cancer. Of those who ‘knew someone with cancer’ (N=75), 46% had their screening up to date (N=35). Of those who ‘did not know someone with cancer’ (N=38), 34% had their screening up to date (N=13), the difference was not significant (p-value =0.21). Two of the top reasons for not getting screened were 1) not feeling sick and 2) no health insurance. Moreover, speaking the same language as the primary provider, financial status, length of waiting for an appointment, and transportation were not associated with breast cancer screening. Although mammography rates were low, colonoscopy rates among age eligible participants in the survey were very high (94.5%), leading us to believe there are unique factors to low mammography screening in Korean women. Future direction: To our knowledge, there are no existing awareness programs to increase mammography screening for this population. We know that faith-based organizations can increase screening behaviors among parishioners and can be an effective avenue for improving health outcomes. Through the engagement with elders, RCHE has formed an extensive network of partnerships with faith-based organizations we will identify the unique barriers to mammography compliance in Korean Americans. Citation Format: Dong Hee Kim, Yu-Chen Lin, Christie Y. Jeon, Laurel Finster, A. Joan Levine, Zul Surani, Robert W. Haile. Addressing the needs of Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s catchment area: Cancer screening compliance among the Korean community in Los Angeles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D020.
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