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

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.

Cross-sectional telephone survey of 933 randomly selected Vietnamese women in four California counties.

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.

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.