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

Abstract #63381

Kristine A. Wong, MPH, The Hope Heart Institute, 528 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, 206.903.2092, kristinewong@yahoo.com, Vicky Cárdenas, MHS, PhC, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, Maxine Chan, International Community Health Services, 412a S. Maynard St., Seattle, WA 98104, Clarence Spigner, DrPH, MPH, Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195, and Margaret D. Allen, MD, Hope Heart Institute, 528 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122.

Lack of donated matching organs results in waiting times for organ transplants up to twice as long for Asian Pacific-Americans (APAs) compared to European-Americans. The percentage of APAs on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list is higher than their representation in the population, yet APAs comprise less than 2% of U.S. donors. An ethnically- and culturally-specific health education campaign should address cultural barriers and increase donation rates. A pilot survey in Seattle solicited the target population’s preferences on venue, spokesperson, content, and format for a health education intervention. Participants were selected by random sampling at four sites; interviews were conducted in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Responses were analyzed by ethnicity, gender, and age, using Pearson chi-square tests. Overall, APA respondents preferred (in descending order) mainstream television, ethnic newspapers, mainstream newspapers, and ethnic television for health message delivery. A campaign spokesperson of APA heritage was preferred over a non-APA (p<0.001). Whether the preferred spokesperson was locally versus nationally well-known varied by ethnicity (p=0.002); whether the preferred spokesperson was of the same APA ethnic group as the audience differed by ethnicity (p=0.001) and age (p=0.05). Similarly, there were significant differences by ethnicity in opinions on the most effective approach for presenting donation/transplantation issues (Chinese vs. Filipino, Chinese vs. Japanese, Vietnamese vs. Filipino, Vietnamese vs. Japanese). These results demonstrate that community input should be used to tailor public health messages for specific audiences, especially for such sensitive issues. The results highlight the important differences between ethnic groups and generations within the APA population.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize how the lack of matching organs for transplantation produces critical public health disparities for Asian Pacific Americans.
• Identify factors that may contribute to low donation rates among Asian Pacific Americans.
• Discuss how an ethnically- and culturally-specific health education campaign might address cultural barriers and increase donation rates.
• Understand the importance of investigating possible ethnic-specific, gender-specific, and age-specific preferences when planning a health education intervention in multiethnic, multigenerational APA communities.

Keywords: Asian Americans, Community Education

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.