Cancer information comprehension by English-as-a-second-language immigrant women

Area of Science:

• Health communication
• Sociology of health
• Cancer prevention research

Background:

• Limited acculturation and socioeconomic status are linked to reduced cancer screening participation.
• Poor comprehension of cancer prevention information may exacerbate disparities in screening rates among immigrant populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of acculturation and socioeconomic factors on health information comprehension and cancer screening intention among Spanish-speaking immigrant women in Canada.
• To identify predictors of comprehension for both colon cancer and general health information.

Main Methods:

• Stepwise linear regression was used to model acculturation and socioeconomic factors as predictors.
• The Bidimensional Acculturation Scale assessed acculturation levels.
• McNemar test analyzed changes in screening intention post-information exposure.

Main Results:

• Acculturation, media use (TV/Internet), age, and Spanish-language education predicted comprehension of cancer prevention information (R² = .23).
• These factors also predicted general health information comprehension, assessed by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (R² = .42) and Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (R² = .17).
• No significant prediction of screening intention was found based on the studied variables, though intention to be screened increased post-reading.

Conclusions:

• Acculturation significantly influences health information comprehension among older, English-as-a-second-language immigrant women.
• Factors beyond the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale likely affect understanding and engagement with health information.
• While information improved comprehension, direct prediction of screening intention requires further investigation into other cultural and contextual influences.