Source From Department of Public Health, Center for Asian Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

OBJECTIVE: To apply the proposed Sociocultural Health Behavior Model to determine association of factors related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening among Asian Americans.

METHODS: A cross-sectional design of 1312 Asian men and women 18 years and older. The frequency distribution analysis and chi square analysis were used for the initial screening of the following variables: access/satisfaction with health care, enabling, predisposing, cultural, and health belief factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on factors for HBV screening using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Correlates to HBV screening included demographics, cultural factors, enabling factors, and family/social support factors. Enabling factors were more likely to be associated with HBV screening.

CONCLUSION: The model highlights the role sociocultural factors play in HBV screening. Findings reinforce the need for HBV screening programs and indicate programs could be more effective if they included these components and were sensitive to ethnic and cultural factors.