Abstract
Compared to any other racial/ethnic group, Asian Americans represent a population disproportionately affected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a leading cause of liver cancer. Since 2007, the San Francisco Hep B Free (SFHBF) Campaign has been actively creating awareness and education on the importance of screening, testing, and vaccination of HBV among Asian Americans. In order to understand what messages resonated with Asian Americans in San Francisco, key informant interviews with 23 (n = 23) individuals involved in community outreach were conducted. A key finding was the ability of the SFHBF campaign to utilize unique health communication strategies to break the silence and normalize discussions of HBV. In addition, the campaign’s approach to using public disclosures and motivating action by emphasizing solutions towards ending HBV proved to resonate with Asian Americans. The findings and lessons learned have implications for not only HBV but other stigmatized health issues in the Asian American community.
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Acknowledgments
This publication was supported by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention grant number 5U58DP001022-03 awarded to the B Free CEED: National Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Hepatitis B Disparities at NYU School of Medicine. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also thank Kira Donnell in her assistance with transcription of these key informant interviews.
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Yoo, G.J., Fang, T., Zola, J. et al. Destigmatizing Hepatitis B in the Asian American Community: Lessons Learned from the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign. J Canc Educ 27, 138–144 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0252-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0252-9