Influencing Factors of Intention to Receive Pap Tests in Vietnamese Women who Immigrated to Taiwan for Marriage

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the factors associated with the intention to receive a Pap test among married immigrant women of Vietnamese origin living in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional community-based study.We enrolled 281 women aged 30 years and over in the study, from July 2013 to January 2014. The participants' characteristics, cervical cancer knowledge, Pap test knowledge, attitudes toward cervical cancer, barriers to receiving a Pap test, fatalism, and intention to receive a Pap test, were measured using self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the variables associated with participants' intentions to receive a Pap test. RESULTS: Vietnamese women with low scores on the measures of cervical cancer knowledge and perceived barriers to receiving a Pap test were more willing to receive the test, as were those with high scores on the measures of Pap test knowledge and fatalism. Women who received a Pap test in the previous year were more willing to receive a Pap test within the next 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive healthcare for immigrant women should be a focus of nurses. The development of culturally appropriate health education and strategies should enhance their knowledge of Pap tests and reduce perceived barriers to Pap test participation. This study's results can be a reference for nurses who work with immigrant women.

Chinese and Vietnamese adult male smokers' perspectives regarding facilitators of tobacco cessation behavior.

INTRODUCTION: National surveys show a low prevalence of tobacco cigarette smoking within the Asian American/Pacific Islander population. However, smoking rates loom higher when data is disaggregated by ethnicity and gender. Nevertheless, few data are available on how smokers in this population quit smoking. The aim of this study was to collect first-hand perspectives from adult male Chinese and Vietnamese current and former smokers who were patients at a community clinic in Seattle, Washington, in order to understand the facilitators toward smoking cessation and the methods that they might use to quit smoking. METHODS: A telephone survey was administered to age-eligible male Chinese and Vietnamese clinic patients who were current or former smokers. A total of 196 Chinese and 198 Vietnamese (N=394) adult male current and former smokers were contacted from a pool culled from the clinic database. RESULTS: Descriptive analysis using SPSS software revealed ethnicity-specific differences between current and former smokers regarding influences on smoking cessation behavior as well as uptake and endorsement of cessation methods. Family encouragement and physician recommendations were significant facilitators on the cessation process. Will power and self-determination were frequently mentioned by both Vietnamese and Chinese smokers as helpful methods to quit smoking. Vietnamese smokers were more resourceful than Chinese smokers in their use of smoking cessation methods. CONCLUSION: Even with access to cessation classes at a health clinic, half of current smokers indicated that they had no intention to quit. Such attitudes underscore the need for promotion of effective smoking cessation programs as well as successful strategies for reaching smokers. These conclusions are particularly important for Chinese smokers, who were comparatively less resourceful in their use of smoking cessation methods. Future studies should explore integrating the concept of will power with current mainstream state-of-the-art smoking cessation programs.

Prevalence of tuberculosis in Vietnamese migrants: the experience of the Orderly Departure Program.

This study aimed to describe the Internal Organization for Migration (IOM) tuberculosis screening and treatment program in Ho-Chi-Minh City (Vietnam); and to review the prevalence of tuberculosis and treatment outcome in a cohort of Vietnamese migrants and refugees prior to their departure. From 1 November 1992 to 1 June 1993, prospective migrants and refugees bound to the United States, Australia, and Canada underwent medical examination by IOM in Ho-Chi-Minh City. Screening for tuberculosis was based on chest x-rays, and the diagnosis was confirmed by smear examination. Smear-positive patients received short-course chemotherapy, directly supervised, with isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Out of 39,581 persons screened, 322 were smear-positive (641 per 100,000), and started treatment. Follow-up varied from a minimum of 12 months to a maximum of 18 months. At that time, 265 (82%) were cured, while the remaining either continued treatment with first-line drugs (24), started second-line treatment (17), or failed to be cured for various reasons (16). This report confirms the efficacy of short course chemotherapy and directly observed treatment for tuberculosis, in the context of one of the largest screening programs for prospective migrants. Follow-up in receiving countries would help clarify risk factors for both new infection and relapse of tuberculosis.

Health problems among Vietnamese refugees resettled in Japan.

A medical examination of 932 Vietnamese refugees was conducted within 1 month of their resettlement in Japan between 1989 and 1991. A variety of abnormalities were detected, including parasitic disease (78% prevalence), anemia (12%), HBsAg positive state (14%), liver dysfunction (10%), hypertension (0.8%), active pulmonary tuberculosis (2%) and syphilis (0.7%). These rates were still as high as the prevalence in previous studies of earlier immigrants from Vietnam. The high frequency of infectious diseases in recent Vietnamese refugees compared with the Japanese community leads to a recommendation for continuing medical examinations and treatment for new Vietnamese refugees.

Health status of Indochinese refugees in Japan: statistical analyses on anemia, eosinophilia and serum alkaline phosphatase.

Detailed statistical analyses were attempted on anemia, eosinophilia and elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase in the Indochinese refugees in Japan. A high statistical correlation was found between hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit for most of the refugees except the Cambodian females. Refugees with parasitic infections, particularly hookworm infection had significantly lower values for hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit. Significant eosinophilia was observed in the refugees infected with hookworms, Strongyloides stercoralis, Rhabditis sp., Endolimax nana and/or Hymenolepis nana. However, these parasites were found in the same subpopulations more frequently than expected by chance. Elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase was observed in young Cambodian immigrants. Analyses showed that the variations of this enzyme could be well predictable by those of enzymes such as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, which are good markers for liver functions, in Cambodian immigrants, 13-24 of age, whereas no such correlation was observed in non-Cambodians of the same age group.

Diarrhoea among Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines.

A 6-month survey of diarrhoeas in Vietnamese refugee camp children was carried out and was responsible for 32.5% of pediatric consultations. One hundred twenty cases were studied and underwent laboratory work-up. Peak incidence was in the 4-6 years. Diarrhoea was observed to be at its peak in April and June which coincides with the increase in the number of transients and with the rainy season. Diarrhoea with fever and abdominal pain were the most prominent clinical symptoms. Only 8.3% grew bacterial pathogens' enteropathogenic E. coli being the most common followed by Staphylococcus aureus. It is apparent that a causative agent other than a bacterial pathogen such as a virus may play a major role in diarrhoeas in Vietnamese refugee infants and children. The lack of environmental sanitation and health education play a major role in the causation of diarrhoea in these refugee children.

Diarrhoeal diseases among refugees in Indonesia.

The influx of refugees from Vietnam had created some consequences especially in transmission of certain communicable diseases. During several months of their first arrival, most of illness (90%) were caused by upper respiratory tract infections, skin diseases and diarrhoeal diseases. Several efforts and measures had been done by the Government of Indonesia in collaboration with several agencies i.e. P3V, PMI, UNHCR, W.VI, etc. As a result of the activities, a reduction of diarrhoeal diseases, has been observed. There was no cholera or typhoid cases detected through routine surveillance activities or by special survey. If we examine the morbidity and mortality pattern of refugees or we are comparing with Indonesian figures, it can be concluded that diarrhoeal diseases is not a significant health problem among refugees in Indonesia.