American Journal of Public Health
Volume 101, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 87-93

A qualitative assessment of community-based breast health navigation services for Southeast Asian women in Southern California: Recommendations for developing a navigator training curriculum (Article)

Nguyen T.-U.N. , Tran J.H. , Kagawa-Singer M. , Foo M.A.
  • a Asian American Studies Program, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, United States
  • b Ctr. of Excellence to Eliminate Breast and Cervical Cancer Disparities, Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Garden Grove, CA, United States
  • c School of Public Health, Department of Asian American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • d Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, United States

Abstract

Objectives: We identified key elements required for a training curriculum for Southeast Asian community-based health navigators (CBHNs), who help lowincome, immigrant Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, and Vietnamese women negotiate cultural and systemic barriers to breast cancer screening and care in the United States. Methods: We gathered the perspectives of 3 groups: CBHNs, community members, and their providers. We conducted 16 focus groups with 110 women representing different stages of the cancer care continuum and in-depth interviews with 15 providers and 10 navigators to identify the essential roles, skills, and interpersonal qualities that characterize successful CBHNs. Results: The most important areas identified for training CBHNs were information (e.g., knowing pertinent medical information and how to navigate resources), logistics (transportation, interpretation), and affective interpersonal skills (understanding the language and cultural beliefs of patients, communicating with providers, establishing trust). Conclusions: CBHNs serve a crucial role in building trust and making screening practices culturally meaningful, accessible, usable, and acceptable. Future research should focus on developing training curricula, policies, resources, and funding to better maximize the expertise and services that CBHNs provide and to expand our findings to other underserved communities.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

information processing education Needs Assessment curriculum health promotion mass screening Consumer Participation human middle aged social support Community Health Aides health auxiliary ethnology consumer United States Humans Breast Neoplasms California Asian Americans male Emigrants and Immigrants Asian American breast tumor female Southeast Asia Article manpower adult migration patient attitude Patient Acceptance of Health Care Asia, Southeastern Focus Groups
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-78650884386&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.2009.176743&partnerID=40&md5=2b3edad8360937b534f2d90dbb4438aa
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.176743
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 31
Original Language: English