Abstract B21: The moderating effect of acculturation on gender roles and cancer screening variables among Vietnamese American women.

Abstract

Abstract Vietnamese women are less likely to undergo cancer screening in comparison to women from other ethnic and minority populations. These health disparities suggest the need to uncover both access/structural barriers as well as cultural barriers to cancer screening for Vietnamese women. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of demographic variables and the interplay between gender roles and acculturation on breast and cervical cancer screening outcomes among Vietnamese women. A convenience sample of 100 Vietnamese women were recruited from two faith-based institutions for a larger cancer-screening intervention. All participants completed measures on demographic variables, measures of gender roles and acculturation, and cancer screening variables. Results indicated that traditional masculine gender roles were associated with increased self-efficacy for breast and cervical cancer screening. Higher levels of acculturation were associated with higher probability of having had a Pap test. Lastly, acculturation moderated the relationship between traditional female gender roles and cancer screening variables. For highly acculturated women, higher levels of feminine gender roles predicted higher probability of having had a previous CBE and higher levels of self-efficacy for cervical cancer screening, while the opposite was true for lower acculturated women. The findings provide evidence for the interplay between gender and cultural identities and how they may impact Vietnamese women's health outcomes. Programming and intervention strategies need to recognize intra-group differences within ethnic minority populations. Citation Format: Anh Bao Nguyen, Trenette T. Clark, Faye Z. Belgrave. The moderating effect of acculturation on gender roles and cancer screening variables among Vietnamese American women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B21.