title: Effect of a liver cancer education program on hepatitis B screening among Asian Americans in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, 2009-2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asian Americans have the highest incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major form of primary liver cancer, of all ethnic groups in the United States. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common cause of HCC, and as many as 1 in 10 foreign-born Asian Americans are chronically infected with HBV. We tested the effectiveness of a culturally tailored liver cancer education program for increasing screening for HBV among Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans residing in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, from November 2009 through June 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a cluster randomized controlled trial to recruit volunteer participants from community-based organizations (CBOs) in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. We selected 877 participants by using a pretest survey. People were eligible to participate if they had not attended a hepatitis B-related education program in the past 5 years. The intervention group (n = 441) received a 30-minute educational program, and the control group (n = 436) received an educational brochure. After attending the educational program, the intervention group completed a post-education survey. Six months later, participants in both groups were followed up by telephone. Receipt of HBV screening was the outcome measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 79% (n = 688) of participants completed the 6-month follow-up telephone survey. Among those who had not had HBV screening at baseline (n = 446), the adjusted odds of self-reported receipt of HBV screening at the 6-month follow-up to the educational program were significantly higher for the intervention group than for the control group (odds ratio = 5.13; 95% confidence interval, 3.14-8.39; P < .001). Chinese Americans and Vietnamese Americans had significantly higher odds of having HBV screening in the 6-month period than Korean Americans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Culturally tailored education programs that increase liver cancer awareness can be effective in increasing HBV screening among underserved Asian American populations.
authors: Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Room 704, Baltimore, MD 21205. E-mail: hjuon@jhsph.edu.
authors: Hee-Soon
authors: HS
authors: Juon
authors: University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland.
authors: Sunmin
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Strong
authors: George Washington University, Washington, DC.
authors: Rajiv
authors: R
authors: Rimal
authors: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Gregory D
authors: GD
authors: Kirk
authors: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Janice
authors: J
authors: Bowie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors