Psychosocial Predictors of HBV Screening Behavior among Vietnamese Americans

Abstract

Objective We evaluated the influence of psychosocial factors on HBV screening. Methods Sample consisted of 1716 Vietnamese participants in our previous HBV intervention trial, recruited from 36 community-based organizations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City between 2009 and 2014. Using the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory, we measured self-efficacy, knowledge, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, perceived severity, and risk susceptibility. Analysis of covariance was used to compare pre- and post-intervention changes of psychosocial variables. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of the psychosocial variables on HBV screening. Results Knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers were directly associated with HBV screening; knowledge had the strongest effect. Perceived severity and risk susceptibility had indirect association with HBV screening through other variables. Indirect paths among the 6 psychosocial variables were also identified. Conclusion To promote HBV screening among Vietnamese Americans, intervention efforts should focus on increasing knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived benefits, decreasing perceived barriers, and accounting for the dynamic cognitive processing.

Multilevel Pathways of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Low-Income Vietnamese Americans: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

“…Health belief was assessed with 5 questions related to perceptions of fatalism, health, and healthcare providers that were adapted from previous research of cancer screening behaviors in Asian Americans. 22 For instance, “Getting or not getting cancer is determined by the fate of a person. There’s not much people can do to avoid getting cancer” and “Most diseases, excluding external wounds, are caused by the imbalance between hot and cold in a person’s body.” We computed a health belief score by summing up participants’ responses to the 5 questions (Cronbach’s alpha = .79).…”

“…Social norms were assessed with 8 community-based questions related to CRC screening that were adapted from previous research of cancer screening behaviors in Asian Americans. 22 The goal was to obtain a sense of communal views of CRC screening, which may have influenced previous screening uptake. The 8 social norm questions were asked using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Examples of social norm questions include: “people in my community talk about colorectal cancer screening,” “people in my community believe colorectal cancer screening can help prevent colorectal cancer,” and “talking about colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer screening is a comfortable topic in my community.” The average score, ranging from 0 to 5, was calculated for these 8 questions (Cronbach’s alpha = .87) to determine the overall level of social norm, with a higher numeric value indicating a greater presence of positive social norm toward CRC and CRC screening.…”

“…Individual self-efficacy was assessed with 4 questions focused on individuals’ confidence in undergoing CRC screening, preparing for CRC screening, discussing CRC with their doctors, and their ability to control emotions that may be caused by CRC screening. The questions were adapted from previous research of cancer screening behaviors in Asian Americans, 22 and they had high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .89). The responses were on a 10-point Likert scale from “not at all confident” to “totally confident.”…”

“…Social norms were assessed with 8 community-based questions related to CRC screening that were adapted from previous research of cancer screening behaviors in Asian Americans. 22 The goal was to obtain a sense of communal views of CRC screening, which may have influenced previous screening uptake. The 8 social norm questions were asked using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree."…”

Mental Health Screening Needs and Preference in Treatment Types and Providers in African American and Asian American Older Adults

“…Asian Americans are also likely to delay help-seeking and utilizing inpatient services when symptoms become more severe [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]. Individuals who do seek help often prefer general health providers and informal services instead of mental health professionals [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] and have higher attrition rates after initiating mental health service treatment [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 , 9 ].…”