Brief ReportsStrategies for Reaching Asian Americans With Health Information
Introduction
A sian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States.1, 2, 3, 4Cultural, linguis tic, and economic barriers place many Asian Americans in jeopardy of missing important opportunities for disease prevention, early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and participation in clinical trials.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22Improving the health status of this population is complicated by two additional challenges.23, 24First, there are significant information gaps in critical areas needed to meet the health promotion needs of this population. Second, the relatively low incidence of some diseases (i.e., cancer) may lull Asian Americans and their health care providers into complacency about the value of health education and screening for diseases of comparatively low incidence.25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34To address these barriers, a community-based health education demonstration program focused on cancer was developed.[35]
Section snippets
Methods
Review of epidemiologic data36, 37and discussions with Asian community leaders helped hone the program’s focus. Short-term goals included the development of a program that was: (1) acceptable to members of the Asian community regardless of education and acculturation, (2) accessible to those economically and educationally disadvantaged, and (3) cost effective. Intermediate goals were to increase cancer prevention and screening activities, while long-term goals were to reduce cancer incidence
Results
Techniques that were found to be effective in initiating health promotion conversations include:
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Translated materials and posters with ethnically appropriate graphics to attract specific Asian population subgroups.
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Multilingual signs announcing that the program was free and was sponsored by the University of California helped to allay suspicions about hidden costs, gave credibility to the information being offered, and gave the student community health educators a mantle of authority with which
Discussion
While the California Tumor Registry reports that overall cancer risk for Asians is among the lowest for all ethnic groups,[65]the California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey showed Asians Americans were the least likely to be screened for the early detection of cancer.66, 67, 68
To promote equivalent widespread changes in screening and preventive behaviors now being seen in other ethnic groups,[69]this less well-acculturated, and often linguistically isolated, population of Asian
Acknowledgements
The authors thank: the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute for their generous contribution of printed educational materials and videotapes; the Union of Pan Asian Communities for its guidance and support; and the following manufactures for their generous contributions of sunscreen samples: Almay; Arizona Sun; Bain de Soleil; Banana Boat of California, Inc.; Blistex; Bristol Myers Squibb; Bullfrog; Clinique; Coppertone; Dermage Cosmetics Research Laboratory; Doak; Estee
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