Associations of Neighborhood Ethnic Density and Psychosocial Factors with Colorectal Cancer Screening Behavior Among Asian American Adults
Aisha Bhimla, PhD;1 Ming-Chin Yeh, PhD;2 Phuong Do, BA;1 Chul Kim, BA;1 Mariam Brym;1 Grace X. Ma, PhD1,3
1Center for Asian health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY
3Department of Clinical Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Introduction
This study examined the influence of neighborhood ethnic composition on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening behavior in Asian Americans and explored whether associations between psychosocial predictors including knowledge, self-efficacy, and barriers with CRC screening behavior varied by neighborhood ethnic composition.
Methods
Participants included 1,057 Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans aged 50 and older. Psychosocial factors associated with CRC screening, CRC screening behavior, and socio-demographics were extracted from participants survey data. Neighborhood ethnic composition was characterized as census-tract level percentage of Asian residents. Participant’s addresses were geocoded to the census tract level to determine whether they resided in an ethnically dense neighborhood.
Results
The mixed-effects logistic regression model illustrated that residing in an ethnically dense neighborhood was associated with lower odds of CRC screening (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.49, 0.77; p=0.019) after controlling for age, gender, education, and ethnic group. Furthermore, greater perceived barriers to CRC screening (OR= 0.62; 95% CI=0.55, 0.90; p<0.001) resulted in a lower odds of obtaining a CRC screening, while higher self-efficacy (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.11, 1.23, p<0.001) was associated with greater odds of CRC screening. Among those living in a high ethnically dense neighborhood, greater barriers to screening was associated with lower odds of having obtained a CRC screening (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.28, 0.93; p=0.028).
Conclusion
The study findings revealed that residing in ethnically dense neighborhoods had negative impacts on CRC screening behavior. Future studies should examine disparities in built environment, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that are characteristic of ethnically dense neighborhoods and their impact on CRC screening participation.
Acknowledgement: This research project was supported by grant U01MD010627 (PI: Grace X. Ma, PhD) and U54CA153513 NIH U54 Supplement (PI: Grace X. Ma, PhD) funded by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of National Institute of Health (NIH), and partially supported by the grant of U54 CA221704(5) funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of NIH (Contact PIs: Grace X. Ma, PhD and Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD). The contents of this abstract are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIMHD or the NCI, NIH.
Email questions and comments about this abstract to tug31272@temple.edu.
