title: Chumnguh thleum: understanding liver illness and hepatitis B among Cambodian immigrants.
abstract: Cambodian immigrants are over 25 times more likely to have evidence of chronic hepatitis B infection than the general US population. Carriers of HBV are over 100 times more likely to develop liver cancer than non-carriers. Liver cancer incidence is the second leading cancer for Cambodian men and the sixth for Cambodian women. Despite this, this underserved population has received very little attention from health disparities researchers. Culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions are necessary to increase hepatitis B knowledge, serologic testing, and vaccination among Cambodian Americans. Eight group interviews were held with Cambodian American men (48) and women (49). Focus group discussion revealed unanticipated information about sociocultural influences on participants' understanding about hepatitis B transmission, disease course, and prevention and treatment informed by humoral theories underlying Khmer medicine, by biomedicine, and by migration experiences. Our findings reveal the value of qualitative exploration to providing cultural context to biomedical information--a formula for effective health promotion and practice.
authors.affiliation: Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1450 3rd Street, MC 0128, PO Box 589001, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001, USA. nburke@cc.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Hoai Huyen
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Channdara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sos
authors.forename: Danika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Svy
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002160:Cambodia / Q000208:ethnology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D054521:Cultural Competency; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult