Objective The study’s objectives were to calculate the costs and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of implementing a health literacy-focused intervention to promote breast and cervical cancer screenings among Korean American women overdue for these tests Methods Researchers estimated the costs of a cluster-randomized controlled trial that evaluated this intervention. Effectiveness was measured as the number of breast or cervical cancer screenings received by women in either the intervention and control arms of the study. Cost-effectiveness was calculated as the incremental cost of each additional screening received by the intervention group. Results Comparing the intervention and control group, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated to be US$236 per screening, without program development costs. Conclusion These findings suggest this program, when compared with others, offered a more cost-effective approach for promoting cancer screening. Local health officials could use this information to guide decisions about reducing cancer disparities among recent immigrant women.

Background Korean Americans (KA) comprise the fourth largest Asian-American subgroup, with a population estimated at nearly 1.7 million, and the vast majority (up to 85%) of KA elders attends ethnic churches. Despite the rapid increase of the KA elderly population, data on mental health service utilization among KA elders are scarce. Method Based on a cluster sampling method, the Memory and Aging Study among Koreans in Maryland (MASK-MD) recruited and assessed 630 KA elders (mean age: 70.9 ± 6.1 years; 68.9% female) in KA churches for depression, dementia, and level of mental health service utilization. The Korean versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9K) and Mini-mental Status Examination (MMSE-KC) were administered by trained community health workers. Results Of the 630 participants, 23.2% and 7.3% had PHQ-9 scores of 5 (‘mild depression’) or above and 10 or above (‘clinical depression’), respectively. In addition, 7.0% scored below the age- and education-specific cutoff values for probable dementia based on the MMSE-KC. Of the 92 participants with ‘clinical depression’ or having thoughts of death or self-injury, only 16 (17%) reported utilizing mental health services. Likewise, of 56 participants with probable dementia, only 3 (7.3%) sought treatment from a health care provider. Conclusion The prevalence of depression and cognitive impairment are high in community-dwelling KA elders attending KA churches, but the rate of mental health service utilization among depressed or cognitively impaired Korean elders is low. Further research is warranted to identify barriers to and strategies for adequate mental health care for Korean immigrant elders.

This study was conducted to survey children's health status and need of customized visiting health care services in one province. Methods: The participants in this study were 237 caregivers of infants and preschoolers. Data were collected at the participant's home or public health center. Results: Many of the children did not receive developmental screening tests or dental examinations. In the beneficiary group, the prenatal checkup rate and children's vaccination rate were lower, and caregivers had more health problems than the other groups. On the assessment of home safety, unsafe conditions were more frequently found in the beneficiary group. The caregivers in the beneficiary group showed lower child rearing confidence than the other groups, and wanted customized visiting health care services most in the areas of developmental screening, regular health checkup and counseling, nutritional supplementation, and oral health care. Conclusion: These results indicate that it is necessary for children and parents in poverty to be provided with professional home visiting interventions for the promotion of child health and prevention of developmental problems and diseases. These findings can be used for developing future customized visiting health care service programs for infants and children in this community area.

This study investigated the factors associated with misperception of breast cancer risk, including unrealistic optimism and unrealistic pessimism, among Korean-American women (KAW). Baseline data were collected between March 2010 and October 2011 from 421 KAW aged 40–65 years who participated in a community-based randomized intervention trial designed to promote breast and cervical cancer screening. Multivariate multinomial regression was performed to identify correlates of misperception of breast cancer risk among KAW. A total of 210 KAW (49.9%) had breast cancer risk perception consistent with their objective risk, whereas 50.1% of KAW in the study had some form of misperception of risk. Specifically, 167 participants (39.7%) were unrealistically optimistic about their own breast cancer risk; 44 (10.5%) were unrealistically pessimistic. In multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis, living with a partner and higher education were significantly associated with higher odds of having unrealistic optimism. High social support was associated with a lower likelihood of having a pessimistic risk perception. Higher worry was associated with a higher likelihood of having unrealistic pessimism. Misperception of breast cancer risk among KAW and related factors must be considered when developing behavioral interventions for this population.