Factors associated with breast and cervical cancer screening practices among Vietnamese American women

Purpose: To investigate predictors of breast and cervical cancer screening tests among Vietnamese women in California in preparation for developing and testing interventions to promote such screening. Methods: Cross-sectional telephone survey of 933 randomly selected Vietnamese women in four California counties. Results: Overall, 70% of the respondents had had at least one prior clinical breast examination, but only 30% had had a mammogram and 53% a Pap test. Among women who had been screened, more than two-thirds were up-to-date and among those who had not been screened, more than two-thirds were planning future tests. Factors positively associated with receipt of one or more of the tests included age (among women <40 years old), number of years in the United States, having ever married, and having health insurance. Factors negatively associated with test receipt included having a Vietnamese doctor, being unemployed, and being of Chinese-Vietnamese background. Conclusion: The multiple factors associated with utilization suggest intervention targets for promoting breast and cervical screening among new immigrant women. Increasing screening test receipt to recommended levels will require a two-pronged approach directed at both Vietnamese consumers and Vietnamese physicians.