title: Knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors, traditional health beliefs, and Pap testing among Vietnamese American women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this paper was to examine knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors and traditional health beliefs in relation to Papanicolaou (Pap) testing among Vietnamese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based survey was conducted in Seattle (n<352, response rate=82%) during 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportions of women who knew that older age, not getting regular Pap tests, and Vietnamese ethnicity are associated with an elevated cervical cancer risk were only 53%, 62%, and 23%, respectively. The majority (87%) incorrectly believed poor women's hygiene is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Approximately two-thirds (68%) of the women had received a Pap test during the preceding three years. Knowing that lack of Pap testing increases the risk of cervical cancer was strongly associated (p<0.001) with recent Pap smear receipt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm that Vietnamese women have lower levels of cervical cancer screening than non-Latina white women. Intervention programs addressing Pap testing in Vietnamese communities should recognize women's traditional beliefs while encouraging them to adopt biomedical preventive measures into their daily lives.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, PO Box 19024, M3-B232, Seattle, WA 98109-1024, USA. hdo@fhcrc.org
authors.forename: H Hoai
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: J Carey
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology; D014861:Washington