Chinese Americans’ Family History of Colorectal Cancer Communication With Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer for Chinese Americans. Family history (FH) plays an important role in clinical practice for CRC prevention. Nevertheless, Chinese Americans’ FH of CRC communication with primary care physicians (PCPs) are still unknown. Aims This study examined Chinese Americans’ behavior and the underlying psychological factors for FH of CRC communication with PCPs. Method A total number of 742 Chinese Americans completed a survey developed based on the health belief model, the theory of planned behavior, and the social cognitive theory. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results Majority of the Chinese American participants (75.3%) had never discussed FH of CRC with their PCPs. Lack of inquiries from the PCPs was the main barrier. Structural equation modeling results suggested a good model fit between our theoretical model and the survey data (comparative fit index [CFI] = .946, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .070, and standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .020). Participants’ FH of CRC communication with PCPs was positively associated with their intention (β = .30, p < .001), which was positively correlated to attitudes (β = .29, p < .001) and self-efficacy in discussing FH of CRC with PCPs (β = .57, p < .001). Their attitudes were positively associated with perceived susceptibility to CRC (β = .08, p < .05) and the perceived benefits of communicating FH of CRC (β = .52, p < .001). Conclusions Given that most Chinese Americans in this study did not communicate their FH of CRC with their PCPs, it is important to promote such behavior among Chinese Americans. Our structural equation modeling findings can guide future interventions and education for this underserved racial/ethnic minority group.