Opinions from ESL instructors and students about curricula on hepatitis B for use in immigrant communities.
BACKGROUND
Chinese immigrants in Canada have a disproportionately high risk for hepatitis B compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Hepatitis B is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma among Asian immigrants to North America. English-as-a-second-language (ESL) classes are an effective way of reaching newly immigrated individuals and are a potential channel for delivering health messages.


METHODS
Using data from 6 focus groups among ESL instructors and students, we characterized perceptions about activities that are successfully used in ESL classrooms and strategies for delivering hepatitis B information. RESULTS. Instructors and students generally reported that activities that focused on speaking and listening skills and that addressed content relevant to students' daily lives were successful in the classroom. Instructors generally avoided material that was irrelevant or too difficult to understand. Focus group participants offered strategies for delivering hepatitis B information in ESL classrooms; these strategies included addressing symptoms and prevention and not singling out a specific population subgroup to avoid stigmatization.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings might assist efforts to develop ESL curricula that target immigrant populations.
Coronado
Gloria D
GD
Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA. gcoronad@fhcrc.org
Taylor
Victoria M
VM
Hislop
T Gregory
TG
Teh
Chong
C
Acorda
Elizabeth
E
Do
H Hoai
HH
Chen
Hueifang
H
Thompson
Beti
B
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000193:education*; D001290:Attitude; D002170:Canada; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003479:Curriculum; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D044465:White People
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines