Development of a culturally sensitive educational intervention program to reduce the high incidence of tuberculosis among foreign-born Vietnamese.
OBJECTIVE
In Los Angeles County and Orange County, 98% of Asians with tuberculosis (TB) were foreign born; newly arrived Vietnamese immigrants had the highest TB risk: i.e. > 100 times higher than that of the USA. The study objective was to find ways to reduce the high incidence of tuberculosis among the Vietnamese by: (1) identifying and understanding the cultural health beliefs and barriers among the Vietnamese population of Orange County, California; and (2) developing a partnership between UCLA/VA/RAND MEDTEP, key Vietnamese community-based organizations, and community leaders in Orange County to develop and implement a comprehensive, culturally sensitive educational intervention program.


METHODS
Vietnamese residing in Orange County were recruited to obtain qualitative and quantitative data in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The study design included focus groups, in-depth interviews, and community surveys. Data were collected via qualitative reports, computer-assisted random telephone interviews, and self-administered questionnaires.


RESULTS
A conceptual schema was identified within the Vietnamese health belief system that recognized two different forms of tuberculosis: non-infectious psychological and infectious physical tuberculosis. It was possible to engage community organizations in developing programs to combat TB in the Vietnamese population.


CONCLUSIONS
The Health beliefs of Vietnamese will be important considerations in developing a culturally sensitive educational intervention program to service this at-risk population.
Houston
H Rika
HR
College of Business and Economics, Department of Marketing, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8127, USA. hhousto@calstatela.edu
Harada
Nancy
N
Makinodan
Takashi
T
D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology