Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in California. Although the incidence of breast cancer in Asians is as high as in Hispanics, they have been frequently excluded from breast cancer research. The few studies that have included Asian American women show that they have the lowest screening rates among all ethnic groups. Therefore, interventions to increase screening are urgently needed. However, at the present time, any intervention efforts will certainly be hampered since our understanding of breast cancer screening and correlates in Asian American women is woefully inadequate. The proposed study attempts to provide this information for Korean American women as a first step in the design of an effective, culturally appropriate intervention program. The purpose of this proposal is to gather detailed information on factors that impact breast cancer screening in Korean women between the ages of 50 and 75 residing in Los Angeles County. Information will be obtained from focus groups and face-to-face interviews with women of the target group. We will identify determinants of breast cancer screening, including knowledge, health beliefs, cultural factors, social norms, barriers and supports. Results of this study will (1) be used to formulate recommendations for strategies to increase breast cancer screening among Korean women 50 years of age and older and (2) lead to larger scale studies to test these strategies in a randomized control group design. Specifically, this study seeks to accomplish the following: (l) Conduct semi-structured interviews with key informants in Asian American communities in Los Angeles County regarding breast cancer screening and correlates in Korean-American women. (2) Conduct focus groups with Korean-American women to explore attitudes and beliefs regarding breast cancer screening, barriers to screening and how to successfully overcome these barriers. (3) Develop, translate and pilot test a survey to collect detailed information on breast cancer screening and correlates in Korean-American women. (4) Administer the survey to 200 women between the ages of 50 and 75 residing in Los Angeles County.
| Maxwell, A E; Bastani, R; Warda, U S (2000) Demographic predictors of cancer screening among Filipino and Korean immigrants in the United States. Am J Prev Med 18:62-8 |
| Maxwell, A E; Bastani, R; Warda, U S (1998) Mammography utilization and related attitudes among Korean-American women. Women Health 27:89-107 |
| Maxwell, A E; Bastani, R; Warda, U S (1998) Misconceptions and mammography use among Filipino-and Korean-American women. Ethn Dis 8:377-84 |
