Breast Self-Examination Among Chinese Immigrant Women

¹ California State University, East Bay, Hayward.
² University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: evaon{at}csueastbay.edu.

	Abstract

The incidence of breast cancer is rising rapidly among the fast-growing demographic group of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). In this study, the authors assessed the awareness of breast self-exam (BSE) and factors predicting practice of BSE among Chinese immigrant women living in San Francisco. Three hundred and ninety-seven women participated in a telephone survey; 80.9% reported having heard of BSE but only 53.9% reported practice of BSE during the past year. Logistic regression modeling found that increased length of stay in the United States, higher income, socializing with more Chinese than non-Chinese, and a birthplace other than U.S. and Chinese communities predicted BSE practice. The findings indicate that although familiarity with BSE is high among this group of Chinese immigrant women, self-reported actual practice is far from optimal. This study points to the need for culturally appropriate interventions that will encourage and motivate immigrant Chinese women to practice BSE on a monthly basis.

Key Words: breast self-examination, Chinese, immigrant women, health education, culture, cultural competence, low-income

First published on August 21, 2006, doi:10.1177/1090198106290800

Health Education & Behavior 2006;33:580.

A more recent version of this article appeared on October 1, 2006


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