|
|
|
|
|
Eunice E. Lee, DNSc, College of Nursing, Department of Public Health, Mental Health, and Administrative Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 South Damen Ave., M/C 802, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-996-7973, eclee@uic.edu
Korean American (KA) women are known to be less likely to participate in mammogram or Papanicolaou screening tests as compared to women from other ethnic groups. However, factors that determine their participation are not well understood. The purpose of this presentation is to explore the facilitators and barriers that influence breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors in KA immigrant women. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 33 KA women. Criteria for inclusion in this study were: 1) women who were older than 40 years of age; and 2) women who were born in Korea but presently living in the United States. The data were analyzed using NUD*IST Vivo software. Substantive codes from each topic were identified and then clustered into major themes. The participants’ mean age was 56.7 years (SD = 12.8). The average woman had a high school diploma (SD = 4.5 years) and had been living in the U.S. for 16.1 years (SD = 8.1). Most of the subjects were married (73%), and most were Christian (82%). Almost two third of the participants (73%) had some kind of health insurance. The women were more likely to participate in screening when they had primary physicians, health insurance, or support from family members. Personal barriers to participating in screening included attitudes toward having the procedures, attitudes toward life, incorrect or insufficient knowledge or lack of interest about cancer/cancer screening, and low perceived efficacy of early detection. Structural barriers included language, transportation, and provider characteristics. These findings contribute to a theoretical framework that will guide further descriptive and intervention research with KA immigrant women.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Cancer Screening, Immigrant Women
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.