Cancer screening behaviors among Korean-American women

Cancer Detect Prev. 2000;24(6):589-601.

Abstract

The goals of this study were to evaluate breast and cervical cancer screening tests and to examine the correlates of cancer screening behaviors. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey of 438 Korean-American women residing in Maryland was conducted. About 50% of women age 18 and older had had a Pap smear and 46.6% of these women age 40 and older had had a mammogram in the past 2 years. In multiple logistic regression analyses, the strongest correlate of screening behaviors was having a regular medical checkup. Age and acculturation were found to be important correlates of cancer screening tests: Women less than 50 years of age were more likely to have cancer screening tests than those 50 years and older. English language proficiency was associated with having a mammogram and the proportion of life spent in the United States was associated with having a Pap smear. Employment interacted with marital status for a Pap smear, with those married and unemployed being less likely to have a Pap smear than women who were both married and employed. For strategies to increase cancer-screening tests among Korean-American women, we need to aim at developing culturally appropriate educational programs about cancer for less acculturated and recent immigrants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Asian / psychology*
  • Baltimore / epidemiology
  • Communication Barriers
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Employment
  • Female
  • Health Education
  • Humans
  • Insurance, Health
  • Korea / ethnology
  • Logistic Models
  • Mammography / psychology*
  • Mammography / statistics & numerical data
  • Marriage
  • Mass Screening / psychology*
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Papanicolaou Test*
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Physical Examination / statistics & numerical data
  • Religion
  • Sampling Studies
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Vaginal Smears / psychology*
  • Vaginal Smears / statistics & numerical data