The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63134

Allyn M. Fernandez¹, Jeremiah Mock, MSc, PhD¹, Thoa Nguyen¹, Thien-Nhien Luong, MPH², Tuyet Ha-Iaconis³, Hung Pham, MD, MPH², Ching Wong¹, Stephen J. McPhee, MD⁴, Hy Lam⁵, Tung T. Nguyen, MD⁶, Ky Q. Lai, MD, MPH¹, Hiep Doan, MD¹, and Ching Wong¹. (1) Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project, University of California, San Francisco, 44 Page Street, Ste 500, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415/476-0557, allyn_fernandez@hotmail.com, (2) Santa Clara County Public Health Department, 3003 Moorpark Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128, (3) American Cancer Society, 1715 South Bascom Ave. Suite 100, Campbell, CA 95008, (4) Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 44 Page Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102, (5) Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project, University of California, SF, 44 Page St. Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102, (6) Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0320, San Francisco, CA 94143

Gaining community involvement in research can be challenging, particularly with immigrant communities. In 1999, the Vietnamese REACH for Health Initiative Coalition and UCSF Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project began a 5-year CDC-funded REACH project designed to prevent cervical cancer among Vietnamese-American women in Santa Clara County, California. To gain community involvement, the Coalition sponsored 4 community forums (each with190-250 attendees) to: 1) inform the community about the high incidence of cervical cancer among Vietnamese, understand women's barriers to screening, and brainstorm about possible strategies; 2) review and approve a multi-component project; and 3) assess the project's implementation and impact. At the most recent forum in 2002, attendees reviewed the media campaign. Of 250 attendees, 199 (182 females) completed questionnaires; 75.4% had had >1 Pap test. Respondents assessed 3 television ads: 75.5% understood the messages in the first spot about cervical cancer and Pap tests; 62.8% understood the second spot showing that older women should ask for Pap tests; and 55% understood the third spot recommending that even virgins <18 years should obtain Pap tests. Overall, 44% understood all 3 ads, 28% understood 2 ads, and 20% understood only 1 ad. Less education in Vietnamese, correlated negatively with age, was associated significantly with not understanding spots. Many women believed that sexually inactive Vietnamese women need not have a Pap test. Almost all (95.8%) said that men have a responsibility to encourage women to obtain Pap tests. Community forums can help researchers and coalitions understand community members' perspectives about cervical cancer prevention.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• ensure community involvement, the most fundamental principle of community-based participatory research.
• organize effective community forums.

Keywords: Cancer Screening, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.