Abstract
Background: Asian Americans (AA) are the only racial group in the United States to experience cancer as the number one cause of mortality. Yet, Asian Americans have one of the lowest rates of cancer screenings of all minority groups in the United States. Methods:A cross-sectional and population-based study design was used. Cross-sectional data was collected from 1,650 AA participants via a survey given during two annual community health festivals in 2017 and 2018. Survey variables included sociodemographic measures, self-reported English-language proficiency level, access to primary care, attitudes on preventative cancer screening, current screening status and barriers to undergoing cancer screening. Results:Nearly 66% (n=1,081) reported not having a primary care physician (PCP). While the majority of the participants (n=1,510, 92%) stated that preventative cancer screenings were important, only a small portion (n=1,091, 16%) were up-to-date on cancer screening procedures. The biggest barriers to preventative cancer screening were: 1) Lack of insurance (n=840, 40%); 2) Cost of seeing a physician (n=517, 24%); and 3) Do not feel the need (n=299, 14%). Conclusions:To overcome the barriers we identified and effectively increase cancer screenings in Asian Americans, community outreach should be considered to provide linkage to primary care physicians and navigation to low-cost screening programs.
Highlights
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian Americans (AA) (Hastings et al, 2015; Torre et al, 2016; CDC, 2019)
Barriers to cancer screenings continue to exist among Asian Americans, which include a lack of patient navigation, cultural and linguistic unfamiliarity, lack of insurance, fear of testing, cost, lack of awareness of the disease, lack of prevention and treatment, lack of time, and lack of access to healthcare providers (Ma et al, 2009; Ma et al, 2009)
Despite advances in cancer screening methodologies and treatments, cancer disparities persist among certain racial groups (Hung et al, 2014)
Summary
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian Americans (AA) (Hastings et al, 2015; Torre et al, 2016; CDC, 2019). AAs are the only racial group in the United States to experience cancer as the number one cause of mortality, accounting for 27% of all deaths (American Cancer Society, 2016). Identification of documented barriers may lead to actionable recommendations for policymakers, healthcare providers, community advocates, and hospital system partners working within these populations to address and limit disparities in cancer screening among AAs. Asian Americans (AA) are the only racial group in the United States to experience cancer as the number one cause of mortality. Conclusions: To overcome the barriers we identified and effectively increase cancer screenings in Asian Americans, community outreach should be considered to provide linkage to primary care physicians and navigation to low-cost screening programs
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