Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Asian American Subgroups in New York City Project Summary Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United Sates,1 and NYC is home to the largest concentration of Asian Americans in the country.2,3 However, Asian Americans remain poorly understood and are one of the most understudied racial/ethnic minority groups in the US.4 The most recent national data from the National Health Interview Survey demonstrate that, among adults aged 50-75 years in the United States (US), colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are significantly lower for Asians (46.9%) compared to either whites (59.8%) or blacks (55.0%). In New York City (NYC), 2010 Community Health Survey data of adults aged 50 and over report rates of timely CRC screening to be lower among Asian/Pacific Islanders (66.7%) compared to White Non-Hispanics (68.5%). Aggregated data can mask further significant differences among Asian American subgroups. A confluence of poor access to healthcare, language barriers, and cultural and social beliefs may play a role in these disparities.5-8 A community based participatory research (CBPR) approach, ensuring engagement with diverse stakeholders in the Asian American community, is essential for understanding the barriers and facilitators to CRC screening in this population and in developing culturally tailored interventions and messaging to increase screening for colon cancer. The goal of this one-year study is to understand the barriers and facilitators of colorectal cancer screening among a diverse Asian American men and women in NYC using a qualitative, community-engaged approach.
The specific aims of this study include: 1) To utilize the methods of CBPR to expand upon an existing collaboration between academic institutions, health providers, and community based organizations to implement a CRC research initiative among the Asian American population in NYC, including Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and South Asian communities;2) To use qualitative methods to explore the barriers and facilitators to CRC screening among diverse Asian subgroups in NYC that reflect attitudes and beliefs, the influence of social networks and support structures, and access to healthcare and health information;and 3) To use the principles of social marketing, coupled with health communication theories on message framing, to develop and evaluate culturally tailored messaging that promotes CRC screening in diverse NYC Asian Americans populations.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Asian American Subgroups in New York City Project Narrative The proposed study is relevant because it will advance our understanding of barriers and facilitators of colorectal cancer screening among divers Asian American subgroups, which are understudied communities. Furthermore, the study will advance public health by evaluating a series of culturally tailored messages to promote screening that will subsequently be disseminated through a social marketing campaign.
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