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Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in Latino and Vietnamese Americans

Compared with non-Latino white Americans

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify current colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices and barriers to screening in the Latino, Vietnamese, and non-Latino white populations.

METHODS: We conducted a telephone survey of Latino, non-Latino white, and Vietnamese individuals living in San Jose, California. We asked about demographics, CRC screening practices, intentions to be screened, and barriers and facilitators to screening.

RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy-five individuals (40% white, 29.2% Latino, and 30.8% Vietnamese) completed the survey (Response Rate 50%). Overall, 23% of respondents reported receipt of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the past year, 28% reported sigmoidoscopy (SIG) in the past 5 years, and 27% reported colonoscopy (COL) in the past 10 years. Screening rates were generally lower in Latinos and Vietnamese. Vietnamese were less likely than whites to have had SIG in the past 5 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09 to 0.72), but ethnicity was not an independent predictor of FOBT or COL. Only 22% of Vietnamese would find endoscopic tests uncomfortable compared with 79% of whites (P<.05). While 21% of Latinos would find performing an FOBT embarrassing, only 8% of whites and 3% of Vietnamese felt this way (P<.05). Vietnamese were more likely than whites to plan to have SIG in the next 5 years (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.15 to 4.38), but ethnicity was not associated with planning to have FOBT or COL.

CONCLUSIONS: Rates of CRC screening are lower in ethnic minority populations than in whites. Differences in attitudes and perceived barriers suggest that culturally tailored interventions to increase CRC screening will be useful in these populations

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Calif

    Judith M. E. Walsh MD, MPH, Celia P. Kaplan PH, MA, Ginny Gildengorin PhD, Stephen J. McPhee MD & Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable MD

  2. Medical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, San Francisco, Calif

    Judith M. E. Walsh MD, MPH, Celia P. Kaplan PH, MA, Ginny Gildengorin PhD & Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable MD

  3. Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, San Francisco, Calif

    Judith M. E. Walsh MD, MPH, Ginny Gildengorin PhD & Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable MD

  4. Northern California Cancer Center, Union City, Calif

    Bang Nguyen PH

Authors
  1. Judith M. E. Walsh MD, MPH
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  2. Celia P. Kaplan PH, MA
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  3. Bang Nguyen PH
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  4. Ginny Gildengorin PhD
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  5. Stephen J. McPhee MD
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  6. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Judith M. E. Walsh MD, MPH.

Additional information

Grant support: This study was funded by the California Cancer Research Program and the University of California, San Francisco’s Center for Aging in Diverse Communities Pilot Investigator Program (funded by grant P30-AG 15272 under the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research program by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health) and Redes En Accion: The National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network’s Research Training Program Funded by the National Cancer Institute (Grant Number 1 U01 CA86117). Dr Walsh was a recipient of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Control Career Development Award for Primary Care Physicians during the study period.

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Walsh, J.M.E., Kaplan, C.P., Nguyen, B. et al. Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in Latino and Vietnamese Americans. J GEN INTERN MED 19, 156–166 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30263.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30263.x

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