h was regarded as very important to the target population, particularly when related to family functioning. However, regarding the Pap smear, most women knew about the test, but had little awareness of its role in the early detection of cervical cancer.
Also, fear and fatalism were clearly the dominant, top-of-mind reactions to cancer, and there was little differentiation among sites or types of cancer. Despite the overall pessimism, the groups agreed that early diagnosis and treatment provided the best hope for good outcomes with cancer. It was concluded that the best strategies for increasing minority women's participation in cancer screening was to provide them with information related to how early detection through screening provided a strong chance of effective treatment and remediation of any cancerous conditions.
Kelly, Fores, Wollan, Trapp, Weaver, Barrier, Franz and Kottke (1996) evaluated local screening rates for breast and cervical cancer screening among Cambodian women older than 50 years of age who had used the health-care system; all women were living in America. Specifically, the authors compared rates with those for non-Cambodian women in an effort to identify barriers to screening among Cambodians, and to implement community screening.
Cancer screening rates for one year among Cambodians
(N = 57) were compared with rates for a matched non-Cambodian sample (N = 57) both before and after intervention. Southeast Asian focus groups were used to identify barriers to screening as a basis for intervention. The intervention included community informational programs in the Cambodian language, group screening appointments, provision of transportation, use of female physicians and interpreters, and an informal clinic setting. Findings revealed that initial screening rates for Cambodians were significantly lower than for the non-Cambodians. Expressed barriers were said to include: lack of knowledge about c...