Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Awareness of Cancer Information Among Asian Americans

  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study aimed to find the awareness level of cancer information among Asian Americans in the Delaware Valley region (Pennsylvania and South Jersey). A cross-sectional self-report survey was conducted with a sample of 1374 Asian Americans including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Cambodians. The sample was collected by using a stratified-cluster proportional sampling technique. This paper assessed self-reported smoking behaviors, knowledge of smoking cessation methods, availability of health professional's advice in quitting smoking in the past 12 months, awareness of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, knowledge of, and interest in participation in cancer clinical trials for identified Asian smokers. Overall, the level of awareness of cancer information services among the four subgroups was low. Among current and former smokers, only 31% had been advised by a health care professional to quit smoking. Forty-three percent used at least one smoking cessation method to quit in the past. The results also reveal an increased awareness level among those who had health insurance, higher education and were less likely to speak their native language. Significant differences on cancer awareness existed among the four ethnic groups as well. This study suggests urgent needs to educate Asian Americans about important cancer control issues and services and highlights the differences in baseline knowledge and attitudes among the various ethnic groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. National Cancer Institute: Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph 8 Changes in cigarette-related disease risks and their implication for prevention and control. Bethesda, MD; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, 1997. NIH Publication No. 97-4213.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cigarette smoking among adults—United States, 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2000; 49:881–893.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco use among U.S. racial/ethnic minority groups. A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Jenkins CN, McPhee SJ, Ha N, Nam TV, Chen A: Cigarette smoking among Vietnamese immigrants in California. Am J Health Promot 1995; 9:254–256.

    Google Scholar 

  5. McPhee SJ, Jenkins CN, Wong C, et al.: Smoking cessation intervention among Vietnamese Americans: A controlled trial. Tob Control 1995; 4:S16–S24.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Moeschberger ML, Anderson J, Kuo YF, Chen MS, Wewers ME, Guthrie R: Multivariate profile of smoking in Southeast Asian men: A biochemically verified analysis. Prev Med 1997; 26:53–58.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Behavioral risk factor survey of Korean Americans-Alameda county, California, 1994. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1997; 46:774–777.

    Google Scholar 

  8. US Department of Health and Human Services: Smoking, Tobacco and Cancer Program 1985–1989 Status Report. Washington, DC; US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 1990. DHHS Publication NIH 90-3107.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cigarette smoking among adults—United States. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1996; 45:588–590.

    Google Scholar 

  10. McGinnis JM, Shopland D, Brown C: Tobacco and health: Trends in smoking and smokeless tobacco consumption in the United States. Ann Rev Public Health 1987; 8:441–467.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tomar SL, Husten CG, Manley MW: Do dentists and physicians advise tobacco users to quit? J Am Dent Assoc 1996; 127:259–265.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Zapka JG, Fletcher KE, Ma Y, Pbert L: Physicians and smoking cessation. Evaluation &; Health Professions 1997; 20:407–427.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Walsh RA, Redman S, Brinsmead MW, Byrne JM, Melmeth A: A smoking cessation program at a public antenatal clinic. Am J Public Health 1997; 87:1201–1204.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Stevens VJ, Severson H, Lichtenstein E, Little S, Leben J: Making the most of a teachable moment: A smokeless-tobacco cessation intervention in the dental office. Am J Public Health 1995; 85:231–235.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gregorio DI: Counseling adolescents for smoking prevention: A survey of primary care physicians and dentists. Am J Public Health 1994; 84:1151–1153.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Thorndike AN, Ferris TG, Stafford RS, Rigotti NA: Rates of U.S. physicians counseling adolescents about smoking. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91:1857–1862.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hardy K: Clinical trials need more ethnic balance. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997; 89:686.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Robinson SB, Ashley M, Haynes MA: Attitudes of African-Americans regarding prostate cancer clinical trials. J Community Health 1996; 21:77–87.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Brawley OW, Freeman HP: Race and outcomes: Is this the end of the beginning for minority health research? J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91:1908–1909.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Swanson GM, Ward AJ: Recruiting minorities into clinical trials: Toward a participant-friendly system. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87:1747–1759.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lee MM, Chamberlain RM, Catchatourian R, et al: Social factors affecting interest in participating in a prostrate cancer chemoprevention trial. J Cancer Educ 1999; 14:88–92.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Finn R: Surveys identify barriers to participation in clinical trials. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000; 92: 1556–1558.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Steimle S: Women still face many hurdles to clinical trial participation. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997; 89:545–546.

    Google Scholar 

  24. National Cancer Institute: Ready, Set, Go... Stop: Lessons learned from cancer prevention trials. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90:494–496.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Thomsen CA, Maat JT: Evaluating the Cancer Information Service: a model for health communications. Part 1. J Health Commun 1998; 3(suppl.):1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Fleisher L, Thomsen C: Helping your patients quit smoking: Using the NCI's Cancer Information Service as a resource. Prim Care &; Cancer 2000; 20:48–51.

    Google Scholar 

  27. U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. [U.S. Census Bureau website]. Available at: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet. Accessed August 31, 2001.

  28. Ma GX, Shive S, Tan Y, Toubbeh JI, Su X: Prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among Asian Americans in the Greater Philadelphia region. Am J Public Health 2002; in press.

  29. Ma GX, Tan Y, Feeley R, Thomas P: Perceived risks of certain types of cancer and heart disease among Asian American smokers and non-smokers. J Community Health 2002; 27:233–246.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ma GX, Shive S, Tan Y, Ruzek S: Development and implementation of health surveys in Asian American communities: An example of research on smoking behaviors and perceived cancer risks. J Health Educ &; Behav 2002; under review.

  31. Strecher VJ, Rosenstock IM: The health belief model, In: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK (ed): Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice, pp. 41–59. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Inc., 1997.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ATECAR, Department of Health Studies, Temple University, 304A Vivacqua Hall, P.O. Box 2843, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-0843

    Grace X. Ma

  2. Cancer Information, Education and Research Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, USA

    Linda Fleisher

Authors
  1. Grace X. Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linda Fleisher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ma, G.X., Fleisher, L. Awareness of Cancer Information Among Asian Americans. Journal of Community Health 28, 115–130 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022695313702

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022695313702

Search

Navigation