Description

Available data indicate two broad areas of public health concern for Asian populations in North America: low screening participation rates and increasing adoption of chronic disease risk factors. This proposal focuses on cervical cancer screening for rates of screening in Chinese are markedly below those of the general population. The research goal is to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of a cancer control program targeting less acculturated ethnic Chinese women. Specific aims are to collect information about cervical cancer screening practices and barriers to, as well as facilitators of, Pap testing participation; design culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions to increase cervical cancer screening rates; and complete two randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility, and costs of alternative Pap testing intervention approaches.

To increase the generalizability of findings, the research will be conducted in two cities: Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington. PRECEDE will be used as an over-arching conceptual framework for the project. During all phases of the study, community involvement will be emphasized/ In the first phase, qualitative data concerning Pap testing and dietary practices will be collected and analyzed. This information will be used during phases two and three: development of survey instruments, quantitative data collection, and qualitative data analysis; and development of audiovisual and print Pap testing education materials (for use in the intervention programs). Finally, in phase four, we will evaluate two cervical cancer screening interventions: one using outreach workers and the other a direct mail approach. The same population-based samples will be used for the quantitative surveys and Pap testing randomized trials. Nested methodologic work addressing the validity of screening test self-report will be completed.

Principal Investigator

• V. Taylor (Washington)

Co-Principal Investigator

• Gregory Hislop (BC)

Research Team

• C. Jackson, co-investigator
• S. P. Tu, co-investigator
• R. Patterson, co-investigator
• S. Schwartz, co-investigator

Project Coordinator

• Chong-Ze Teh, Vancouver site