Chinese American Cancer Survivors Research Articles

Fatalism and Psychological Distress Among Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors: Mediating Role of Perceived Self-control and Fear of Cancer Recurrence.

Extant literature on the relationship between cancer fatalism and psychological distress among Chinese American breast cancer survivors has been mixed, and few studies have examined potential mediators of this relationship. The current study examined how cancer fatalism is associated with psychological distress by investigating perceived personal control and fear of cancer recurrence as mediators, and acculturation as a moderator of these relationships. A total of 220 Chinese American women diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer were recruited from California cancer registries and completed a telephone survey. The measurement of cancer fatalism examined one's view of health as a result of destiny. Validated measures of psychological distress (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms), fear of cancer recurrence, and perceived personal control were used. Acculturation was defined by English proficiency, preferred interview language, and number of years lived in the USA. Higher cancer fatalism was directly associated with greater depressive and anxiety symptoms after controlling for covariates. This association was also mediated by higher fear of cancer recurrence, but not by perceived control. The mediation was not moderated by acculturation. Our findings suggest that Chinese American breast cancer survivors' fatalistic beliefs may exacerbate fear of cancer recurrence, and, in turn, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Fear of recurrence was more salient than perceived control in their associations with psychological distress among Chinese American cancer survivors. Future intervention research may adopt cognitive approaches to alter Chinese survivors' fatalistic views of health outcomes to reduce their psychological distress.

A Pilot Study of a Culturally Tailored Lifestyle Intervention for Chinese American Cancer Survivors.

Although Asian Americans generally have the lowest cancer incidence rates and mortality rates, cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans. The goal of this pilot study was to engage Chinese American cancer survivors (CACS) in systematic changes toward desired health behaviors through a healthy lifestyle intervention delivered by a community-based organization. The Reach out to ENhanceE Wellness (RENEW) program workbook was translated into Mandarin Chinese with additional physical activity (PA) and dietary information that are culturally appropriate (RENEW-C). Fifty-five Chinese cancer survivors were recruited from the greater Houston area to participate in this 50-week program and 50 of them completed both the baseline and postintervention surveys in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Paired sample t tests were used to assess changes in 5 groups of outcomes: (1) patient knowledge (measured by Health Education Impact Questionnaire [heiQ]), (2) dietary intake (Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour [ASA24] Dietary Assessment Tool), (3) PA (Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors [CHAMPS]), (4) body mass index, and (5) quality of life (36-item Short-Form Survey [SF-36]). Compared with the baseline, participants reported significantly higher consumption of vegetables and higher frequency of PAs at the postintervention survey. They also showed improved mental health and lower limitation in doing their work or other activities due to physical health or emotional problems. Despite the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrated the effectiveness of using a community-based participatory approach in a healthy lifestyle intervention tailored for CACS.

Abstract IA18: Using mixed-methods to enhance culturally sensitive interventions

Abstract The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the application of mixed methods research designs to generate and test culturally sensitive interventions. The presenter introduces mixed methods related to different phases of programmatic intervention studies, including development of the intervention, implementation of the intervention, testing the intervention, interpretation of the findings, and refining existing or developing new interventions. Qualitative methods are used before, during, or after the intervention to inform a better intervention design, to provide understandings of the implementation process, and to explore the in-depth explanation of quantitative results. Quantitative data are collected before, during, and after the intervention to test the effects and mechanisms of the intervention. The presenter uses examples from intervention studies conducted with the Chinese American cancer survivors in the U.S to illustrate the application of mixed methods designs and programmatic approaches to developing and evaluating culturally specific intervention programs. Citation Format: Qian Lu. Using mixed-methods to enhance culturally sensitive interventions. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA18.