Evaluation of a cervical cancer control intervention using lay health workers for Vietnamese American women

We conducted a trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a cervical cancer control intervention for Vietnamese American women that used lay health workers.

The study group included 234 women who had not received a Papanicolaou (Pap) test in the last 3 years. Experimental group participants received a lay health worker home visit. Our trial endpoint was Pap test receipt within 6 months of randomization. Pap testing completion was ascertained through women's self-reports and medical record reviews. We examined intervention effects among women who had ever received a Pap test (prior to randomization) and women who had never received a Pap test.

Three quarters of the women in the experimental group completed a home visit. Ever-screened experimental group women were significantly more likely to report Pap testing (P < .02) and to have records verifying Pap testing (P < .04) than were ever-screened control group women. There were no significant differences between the trial arms for women who had never been screened.

Our findings indicate that lay health worker-based interventions for Vietnamese American women are feasible to implement and can increase levels of Pap testing use among ever-screened women but not among never-screened women.