Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices and factors associated with CRC screening among foreign-born South Asians living in the metropolitan New York–New Jersey area. Two hundred and eight men and women recruited from community settings in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area completed a questionnaire that included demographics, CRC screening practices, health care access and practices, attitudes about the health care system, primary care physician support for CRC screening, cultural factors, and attitudes about CRC screening and CRC worry. Almost a third of the sample had not heard of any of CRC screening tests. Approximately 62 % of the sample had never had a CRC screening test and approximately 69 % of the sample was not currently on schedule with regard to CRC screening. When the relative contribution of significant correlates were evaluated, participants who had lived in the US for a longer time, who endorsed more CRC screening benefits, and who endorsed fewer CRC screening barriers were significantly more likely to have had CRC screening in the past. Participants who were more likely to use English in their daily life, who endorsed more CRC screening benefits, and endorsed fewer CRC screening barriers were more likely to be on schedule with regard to CRC screening. In conclusion, awareness of CRC screening and uptake of screening was low in this population of foreign-born South Asians. Interventions to promote CRC screening may benefit from targeting this subgroup of Asian Americans.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the sites and coordinators: ParamCARE, Vipul Amin and Dr. Nandish Pathak, Indo-American Senior Citizen’s Association of Hudson County, Dr. Hasmukh Patel and Niranjan Gandhi, The Hindu Temple Society of North America, Dr. Mala Murthy Balakumar and Dr. Uma Mysorekar, Central Jersey Indian Lions Club, Alkesh Shah, Jayesh Patel & Harish Mehta, and Parkchester Masjid, Loukman Ahmed. This work was funded by a Supplement to the CCSG (P30CA072720-16S2).
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Manne, S., Steinberg, M.B., Delnevo, C. et al. Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Foreign-born South Asians in the Metropolitan New York/New Jersey Region. J Community Health 40, 1075–1083 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0053-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0053-x