Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Hepatitis B Screening and Vaccination and Liver Cancer Risks Among Vietnamese Americans

Abstract

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem among Asian Americans. Vietnamese Americans are disproportionately affected by liver cancer compared with other racial and ethnic groups. Vietnamese males have the highest incidence of liver cancer of any racial group; incidence of liver cancer among Vietnamese males is 11 times higher than among White males. Nearly 80% of liver cancer is attributed to HBV. This study measured knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to HBV screening and vaccination. The study was conducted among 256 Vietnamese Americans in the greater Philadelphia and New Jersey area, with a large number of underserved, recent immigrants with low socioeconomic status and limited English proficiency. Participants were recruited from Vietnamese community-based organizations. Overall, 46.3% of the sample had heard of HBV or knew about the availability of screening (32.6%) or vaccination (35.5%) while 7.5% were ever screened and 6.3% had been vaccinated. Community-based, culturally appropriate interventions for Vietnamese Americans and health care providers should increase screening and vaccination rates.

Knowledge, Awareness and Medical Practice of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders on Chronic Hepatitis B Infection: Review of Current Psychosocial Evidence

“…A total of 20 studies have been included in this review ( (Chao et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2007;Nguyen et al, 2007;Taylor et al, 2002;.…”

“…In one study, nearly one-half (56 percent) of the Cambodian respondents were not familiar with "the disease or virus called hepatitis B" until it was explained to them in terms of "a liver problem that makes the skin and eyes go yellow" (Taylor et al, 2002). In many of the studies, knowledge and attitudes were assessed by the following: HBV can be transmitted during sexual intercourse with an infected person, from mother to child during childbirth, by sharing toothbrushes with an infected person, by eating food that has been pre-chewed by an infected person, by someone who looks and feels healthy, HBV is more easily spread than AIDS, people with HBV can be infected for life, HBV can cause liver cancer, people can die from HBV, and ethnic group is more likely to get HBV than Whites (Chang et al, 2008;Choe et al, 2005;Coronado et al, 2007;Hsu et al, 2007;Hwang et al, 2008;Juon et al, 2008;Lin et al, 2007;Ma et al, 2007;Taylor et al, 2002Taylor et al, , 2004Wu et al, 2007).…”

“…According to a study by Ma et al (2007), 46.3 percent of the Vietnamese Americans sampled in the greater Philadelphia and New Jersey area had heard of HBV or knew about the availability of screening (32.6 percent) or vaccination (35.5 percent). The mean age of the participants was 41.8 years and 55.1 percent had a high school education.…”

“…Having a regular source of care, physician recommendation, and knowing HBV can be spread during childbirth increased the odds of getting tested and vaccinated against HBV (Taylor et al, 2004). Most APIs have not undergone hepatitis B testing or vaccination because their providers have not recommended these procedures to them Ma et al, 2007;Taylor et al, 2002;2004;2009;Wu et al, 2007). Compared to those who did not receive a recommendation for HBV testing, Vietnamese women who received a recommendation for testing had nearly a five times higher odds of testing .…”

“…Many of the study participants in the reviewed articles were born outside of the U.S. (>90%) (Chang et al, 2008;Coronado et al, 2007;Grytdal et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2007;Ma et al, 2008;. Of those who were born outside of the U.S., the average length of residency in the U.S. ranged from 10 to 19 years (Chang et al, 2008;Coronado et al, 2007;Grytdal et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2007;Ma et al, 2008. Hsu et al (2007) found that infection rates increased by the length of U.S. residency.…”