Article

Contributing Factors to Colorectal Cancer and Hepatitis B Screening Among Vietnamese Americans

Connie K.Y. Nguyen-Truong

Frances Lee-Lin

Vivian Gedaly-Duff

colorectal cancer, hepatitis, culture, colorectal cancer screening
ONF 2013, 40(3), 238-251. DOI: 10.1188/13.ONF.238-251

Purpose/Objectives: To identify factors associated with screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) and hepatitis B, because hepatitis B can increase the risk of liver cancer.

Data Sources: MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, and PsycINFO databases from January 1998 to April 2012.

Data Synthesis: The 23 reviewed studies included 15 descriptive, 2 intervention, 3 qualitative, 2 chart or medical record review, and 1 mixed method. Most studies used an investigator-developed instrument with no reported reliability. Inconsistent operational definitions for contributing factors to screening made it challenging to make comparisons.

Conclusions: CRC and hepatitis B screening are consistently low among Vietnamese Americans. Contributing factors included sociodemographics, knowledge, cultural beliefs, and external factors. External factors such as having a regular place of care and a healthcare provider were crucial because they influenced adherence to screening recommendations. Use of a public media education plus healthcare provider model and a culturally tailored intervention using Vietnamese lay advisors appeared to be promising for improving CRC screening. Additional intervention studies are needed to increase screening.

Implications for Nursing: Vietnamese is a fast-growing subgroup within the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) group that may require targeted approaches to screening for disease. Future studies should focus on immigrants or those who were born in the United States (men and women) as disaggregated subgroups. Such research can inform culturally sensitive and appropriate interventions that may improve cancer screening rates.

Knowledge Translation: Although Vietnamese is the fourth largest racial-ethnic subgroup within the AAPI group, the literature about contributing factors to CRC and hepatitis B screening is limited among this subgroup. CRC and hepatitis B screening are consistently low among Vietnamese Americans. Use of public media education plus a healthcare provider model and a culturally tailored intervention using Vietnamese lay advisors appears promising for improving CRC screening.

Jump to a section

    References

    American Cancer Society. (2012a). American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/FindCancerEarly/CancerScreeningGuidelines/american-cancer-society-guidelines-for-the-early-detection-of-cancer
    American Cancer Society. (2012b). Cancer facts and figures 2012. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf
    American Cancer Society. (2012c). What are the risk factors for liver cancer. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/LiverCancer/DetailedGuide/liver-cancer-risk-factors
    Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. (2012). For hepatitis B and liver cancer patients. Retrieved from http://liver.stanford.edu/Education/cancerpatients.html
    Bird, J. A., McPhee, S. J., Ha, N. T., Le, B., Davis, T., & Jenkins, C. N. (1998). Opening pathways to cancer screening for Vietnamese-American women: Lay health workers hold a key. Preventive Medicine, 27, 821-829. doi:10.1006/pmed.1998.0365
    Burke, N. J., Jackson, J. C., Thai, H. C., Stackhouse, F., Nguyen, T., Chen, A., & Taylor, V. M. (2004). Honoring tradition, accepting new ways: Development of a hepatitis B control intervention for Vietnamese immigrants. Ethnicity and Health, 9, 153-169.
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008a). Recommendations for identification and public health management of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5708a1.htm
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008b). Use of colorectal cancer tests—United States, 2002, 2004, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5710a2.htm#tab1
    Gomez, S. L., Tan, S., Keegan, T. H., & Clarke, C. A. (2007). Disparities in mammographic screening for Asian women in California: A cross-sectional analysis to identify meaningful groups for targeted intervention. BioMed Central Cancer, 7, 201. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-7-201
    Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Healthy People 2020 objective target areas and page numbers. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/pdfs/HP2020objectives.pdf
    Hepatitis B Foundation Cause for a Cure. (2003-2012a). Hepatitis B and primary liver cancer. Retrieved from http://www.hepb.org/professionals/hepb_and_liver_cancer.htm
    Hepatitis B Foundation Cause for a Cure. (2003-2012b). Liver cancer screening. Retrieved from http://www.hepb.org/liver-cancer/liver_cancer_screening.htm
    Hoeffel, E. M., Rastogi, S., Kim, M. O., & Shahid, H. (2012). The Asian population: 2010. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-11.pdf
    Kandula, N. R., Wen, M., Jacobs, E. A., & Lauderdale, D. S. (2006). Low rates of colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer screening in Asian Americans compared with non-Hispanic Whites: Cultural influences or access to care? Cancer, 107, 184-192. doi:10.1002/cncr.21968
    Lee, H. Y., Lundquist, M., Ju, E., Luo, X., & Townsend, A. (2011). Colorectal cancer screening disparities in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Which groups are most vulnerable? Ethnicity and Health, 16, 501-518.
    Levy, J. D., Nguyen, G. T., & Nguyen, E. T. (2010). Factors influencing the receipt of hepatitis B vaccination and screenings in Vietnamese Americans. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 21, 851-861.
    Ma, G. X., Shive, S. E., Fang, C. Y., Feng, Z., Parameswaran, L., Pham, A., & Khanh, C. (2007). Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of hepatitis B screening and vaccination and liver cancer risks among Vietnamese Americans. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 18, 62-73.
    Maxwell, A. E., & Crespi, C. M. (2009). Trends in colorectal cancer screening utilization among ethnic groups in California: Are we closing the gap? Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 18, 752-759.
    Maxwell, A. E., Crespi, C. M., Antonio, C. M., & Lu, P. (2010). Explaining disparities in colorectal cancer screening among five Asian ethnic groups: A population-based study in California. BioMed Central Cancer, 10, 214.
    Miller, B. A., Chu, K. C., Hankey, B. F., & Ries, L. A. (2008). Cancer incidence and mortality patterns among specific Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the U. S. Cancer Causes and Control, 19, 227-256. doi:10.1007/s10552-007-9088-3
    Mock, J., McPhee, S. J., Nguyen, T., Wong, C., Doan, H., Lai, K. Q., … Bui-Tong, N. (2007). Effective lay health worker outreach and media-based education for promoting cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese American women. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 1693-1700. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.086470
    Nguyen, B. H., McPhee, S. J., Stewart, S. L., & Doan, H. T. (2008). Colorectal cancer screening in Vietnamese Americans. Journal of Cancer Education, 23, 37-45.
    Nguyen, B. H., McPhee, S. J., Stewart, S. L., & Doan, H. T. (2010). Effectiveness of a controlled trial to promote colorectal cancer screening in Vietnamese Americans. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 870-876.
    Nguyen, B. H., Vo, P. H., Doan, H. T., & McPhee, S. J. (2006). Using focus groups to develop interventions to promote colorectal cancer screening among Vietnamese Americans. Journal of Cancer Education, 21, 80-83.
    Nguyen, G. T., Barg, F. K., Armstrong, K., Holmes, J. H., & Hornik, R. C. (2008). Cancer and communication in the health care setting: Experiences of older Vietnamese immigrants, a qualitative study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23, 45-50. doi:10.1007/s11606-007-0455-2
    Nguyen, L. T., Withy, K., Nguyen, M. M., & Yamada, S. (2003). Cancer screening among Vietnamese in Hawaii. Hawaii Medical Journal, 62(7), 145-148.
    Nguyen, T. T., Le, G., Nguyen, T., Le, K., Lai, K., Gildengorin, G., … McPhee, S. J. (2009). Breast cancer screening among Vietnamese Americans: A randomized controlled trial of lay health worker outreach. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37, 306-313. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.06.009
    Purnell, L. D. (2008). Traditional Vietnamese health and healing. Urologic Nursing, 28, 63-67.
    Samuel, P. S., Pringle, J. P., James, N. W., Fielding, S. J., & Fairfield, K. M. (2009). Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates amongst female Cambodian, Somali, and Vietnamese immigrants in the USA. International Journal for Equity in Health, 8, 30.
    Smith, M. C., & Stullenbarger, E. (1991). A prototype for integrative review and meta-analysis of nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 1272-1283.
    Taylor, V. M., Choe, J. H., Yasui, Y., Li, L., Burke, N., & Jackson, J. C. (2005). Hepatitis B awareness, testing, and knowledge among Vietnamese American men and women. Journal of Community Health, 30, 477-490.
    Taylor, V. M., Jackson, J. C., Pineda, M., Pham, P., Fischer, M., & Yasui, Y. (2000). Hepatitis B knowledge among Vietnamese immigrants: Implications for prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. Journal of Cancer Education, 15, 51-55.
    Taylor, V. M., Yasui, Y., Burke, N., Nguyen, T., Chen, A., Acorda, E., … Jackson, J. C. (2004). Hepatitis B testing among Vietnamese American men. Cancer Detection and Prevention, 28, 170-177.
    Tu, S. P., Yip, M. P., Li, L., Chun, A., Taylor, V., & Yasui, Y. (2010). Continuity of care and colorectal cancer screening by Vietnamese American patients. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 11, 1125-1131.
    U. S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2004). Screening for hepatitis B virus infection: Recommendation statement. Retrieved from www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/3rduspstf/hepbscr/hepbrs.htm
    U. S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2009a). Screening for colorectal cancer. Retrieved from http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspscolo.htm
    U. S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2009b). Screening for hepatitis B virus infection in pregnancy. Retrieved from http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspshepbpg.htm
    Walsh, J., Nguyen, T., Nguyen, L., Pasick, R., & McPhee, S. J. (2009). Healthy colon, healthy life (ruot lanh, song khoe): Patient and physician factors associated with colorectal cancer screening among Vietnamese Americans in a county medical care system. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 20, 74-89.
    Walsh, J. M., Kaplan, C. P., Nguyen, B., Gildengorin, G., McPhee, S. J., & Perez-Stable, E. J. (2004). Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in Latino and Vietnamese Americans compared with non-Latino White Americans. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 19, 156-166.
    Walsh, J. M., Salazar, R., Nguyen, T. T., Kaplan, C., Nguyen, L. K., Hwang, J., … Pasick, R. J. (2010). Healthy colon, healthy life: A novel colorectal cancer screening intervention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39, 1-14. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2010.02.020
    Wong, S. T., Gildengorin, G., Nguyen, T., & Mock, J. (2005). Disparities in colorectal cancer screening rates among Asian Americans and non-Latino Whites. Cancer, 104(12, Suppl.), 2940-2947.
    Xu, Y., Ross, M. C., Ryan, R., & Wang, B. (2005). Cancer risk factors of Vietnamese Americans in rural south Alabama. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37, 237-244. doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2005.00041.x