Fang Carolyn Y, Ma Grace X, Tan Yin
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Robert C. Young Pavilion, 4 Floor, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, Tel: 215-728-4062, ,
N Am J Med Sci (Boston). 2011;4(2):77-83. doi: 10.7156/v4i2p077.
Significant disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality exist among ethnic minority women, and in particular, among Asian American women. These disparities have been attributed primarily to differences in screening rates across ethnic/racial groups. Asian American women have one of the lowest rates of screening compared to other ethnic/racial groups. Yet Asian Americans, who comprise one of the fastest growing populations in the United States, have received the least attention in cancer control research. Studies suggest that various factors, including lack of knowledge, psychosocial and cultural beliefs, and access barriers, are associated with cervical cancer screening behaviors among Asian American women. Indeed, the few interventions that have been developed for Asian American women demonstrate that targeting these factors can yield significant increases in screening rates. It is important to note, however, that the effectiveness of educational interventions is often attenuated if access barriers are not adequately addressed. Hence, interventions that include key essential components, such as the use of community individuals as lay health workers, culturally-tailored and linguistically-appropriate educational materials, and navigation assistance to overcome access barriers, are more likely to be successful in enhancing screening rates. As the benefits of community-based cervical cancer prevention programs become more apparent, it will be essential to identify effective approaches for disseminating such programs more broadly. In conclusion, community-based cervical cancer screening programs have demonstrated promise in addressing existing cervical cancer disparities by increasing awareness and knowledge and promoting recommended screening behaviors. These findings will be instrumental in guiding future community-based programs to reduce cervical cancer health disparities among Asian American women.
少数族裔女性，尤其是亚裔美国女性，在宫颈癌发病率和死亡率方面存在显著差异。这些差异主要归因于不同种族/族裔群体筛查率的差异。与其他种族/族裔群体相比，亚裔美国女性的筛查率是最低的之一。然而，作为美国增长最快的人口群体之一，亚裔美国人在癌症控制研究中受到的关注最少。研究表明，包括知识缺乏、心理社会和文化观念以及获取障碍等各种因素，与亚裔美国女性的宫颈癌筛查行为有关。事实上，针对亚裔美国女性制定的少数干预措施表明，针对这些因素可以显著提高筛查率。然而，需要注意的是，如果获取障碍得不到充分解决，教育干预的效果往往会减弱。因此，包括使用社区个人作为非专业卫生工作者、文化定制和语言合适的教育材料以及克服获取障碍的导航援助等关键要素的干预措施，更有可能成功提高筛查率。随着基于社区的宫颈癌预防项目的益处变得更加明显，确定更广泛传播此类项目的有效方法将至关重要。总之，基于社区的宫颈癌筛查项目在通过提高认识和知识以及促进推荐的筛查行为来解决现有的宫颈癌差异方面已显示出前景。这些发现将有助于指导未来基于社区的项目，以减少亚裔美国女性之间的宫颈癌健康差异。
