Cancer screening behaviors among Korean-American women.
The goals of this study were to evaluate breast and cervical cancer screening tests and to examine the correlates of cancer screening behaviors. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey of 438 Korean-American women residing in Maryland was conducted. About 50% of women age 18 and older had had a Pap smear and 46.6% of these women age 40 and older had had a mammogram in the past 2 years. In multiple logistic regression analyses, the strongest correlate of screening behaviors was having a regular medical checkup. Age and acculturation were found to be important correlates of cancer screening tests: Women less than 50 years of age were more likely to have cancer screening tests than those 50 years and older. English language proficiency was associated with having a mammogram and the proportion of life spent in the United States was associated with having a Pap smear. Employment interacted with marital status for a Pap smear, with those married and unemployed being less likely to have a Pap smear than women who were both married and employed. For strategies to increase cancer-screening tests among Korean-American women, we need to aim at developing culturally appropriate educational programs about cancer for less acculturated and recent immigrants.
Juon
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HS
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Choi
Y
Y
Kim
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MT
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008393:Marriage; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012067:Religion; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data