Cancer Information Comprehension by English-as-a-Second-Language Immigrant Women

Abstract

Limited acculturation and socioeconomic factors have been associated with lower participation in cancer screening. Limited comprehension of cancer prevention information may contribute to this association. The authors used a stepwise linear regression to model acculturation and socioeconomic factors as predictors of comprehension (colon cancer and general health information) and screening intention in a sample of 78 Spanish-speaking immigrant women in Canada. The authors used the McNemar test to look for changes in women's screening intention. They used the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale, a language-based scale, to assess acculturation. Among English-as-a-second-language immigrant women, acculturation, television and Internet use, age, and Spanish-language education predicted comprehension of cancer prevention information, F(3, 69) = 6.76, p < .001, R 2 = .23. These variables also predicted comprehension of general health information, via the short form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, F(4, 68) = 12.13, p < .001, R 2 = .42; and the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, F(2, 70) = 7.54, p = .001, R 2 = .17. However, the variables did not predict screening intention. More women expressed intention to be screened after reading the cancer prevention information than expected by chance alone, p = .002. Acculturation is an important influence on the comprehension of health information by older English-as-a-second-language immigrant women. However, other culture-related factors not measured by the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale likely influence their exposure to and understanding of health and cancer prevention information.