Jeremiah Mock ¹, Stephen J. McPhee ^2*, Thoa Nguyen ², Ching Wong ², Hiep Doan ³, Ky Q. Lai ², Kim H. Nguyen ⁴, Tung T. Nguyen ², Ngoc Bui-Tong ⁵

¹ Center for Health and Community, UCSF
² Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project, UCSF
³ Northern California Cancer Center
⁴ Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University
⁵ Department of Health and Human Services

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: smcphee{at}medicine.ucsf.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We sought to promote cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese in Santa Clara County, Calif.

Methods. In 2001–2004, we recruited and randomized 1005 Vietnamese American women into 2 groups: lay health worker outreach plus media-based education (combined intervention) or media-based education only. Lay health workers met with the combined intervention group twice over 3 to 4 months to promote Papanicolaou (Pap) testing. We used questionnaires to measure changes in awareness, knowledge, and Pap testing.

Results. Testing increased among women in both combined intervention (65.8% to 81.8%; P<.001) and media-only (70.1% to 75.5%; P<.001) groups, but significantly more in the combined intervention group (P=.001). Among women never previously screened, significantly more women in the combined intervention group (46.0%) than in the media-only group (27.1%) obtained tests (P<.001). Significantly more women in the combined intervention group obtained their first Pap test or obtained one after an interval of more than 1 year (became up-to-date; 45.7% to 67.3% respectively; P<.001) than did those in the media-only group (50.9% to 55.7% respectively; P=.035).

Conclusions. Combined intervention motivated more Vietnamese American women to obtain their first Pap tests and to become up-to-date than did media education alone.

Key Words: Cancer, Health Education, Asians

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