Awareness of anticancer vaccines among Asian American women with limited english proficiency: an opportunity for improved public health communication.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Asian Americans suffer from liver and cervical cancers, both vaccine preventable, yet vaccine awareness has not been described. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey (6 languages, 380 adult women). RESULTS: Those with limited English proficiency (LEP) were less likely to have accurate knowledge of cervical cancer vaccine (44% vs. 76%, among the 34% aware of any cancer-preventive vaccines) and were more likely to believe vaccines existed for non-vaccine-preventable cancers. Awareness of anti-liver cancer vaccine was low for both LEP and non-LEP women. CONCLUSION: There is a great need to educate Asian Americans about vaccine-preventable cancers, especially among LEP women.