This Health Protection Research Initiative Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) will provide the candidate, John H. Choe, the multidisciplinary tools to become an independent investigator with special focus on hepatitis B (HBV) and liver cancer control in Asian immigrant populations. Toward this end, Dr. Choe has several related career goals that will be achieved through proposed didactic coursework, clinical training, and mentored research activities. These include: (1) To expand his cancer control research experience by serving as the mentored principal investigator in a vulnerable population; (2) To contribute to the understanding of similarities and differences of disease prevention and cancer control across different Asian populations; (3) To advance cancer control and disease prevention research methodology in Asian Americans by testing the validity of self-reported health behavior; and (4) To submit an R01 grant application addressing hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention in Korean Americans. Largely attributable to high rates of chronic HBV infection and low rates of vaccination, hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) affects Asians more than other populations in the US. The proposed research activity would examine rates of HBV and liver cancer testing and vaccination, as well as associations with sociodemographic and other factors, among Korean Americans in Washington State; survey results from Korean Americans will then be compared with those collected previously from the Chinese American community. The research activities proposed for Dr. Choe during this mentored research career development award are: . To develop a culturally-appropriate survey instrument of HBV and liver cancer practices for Korean Americans, incorporating results from a qualitative pilot study and Bastani's Health Behavior Framework. . Using this questionnaire, to identify sociodemographic and other factors associated with recommended HBV testing among 600 ethnic Koreans from the metropolitan area of Tacoma, Washington. . To compare the similarities and differences of factors associated with recommended HBV testing across two Asian American populations: Koreans and Chinese . To conduct a supplemental analysis of the validity of self-reported HBV testing behavior by reviewing a subset of survey participant medical records among Korean and Chinese Americans. . To develop and pre-test a hepatitis B educational intervention for Korean Americans; this will provide feasibility and acceptability information for an intended R01 grant application to address liver cancer in this population.
