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U.W.A.H.P.P.
University of Washington Asian Health Promotion Program

Description of Work

The University of Washington Asian Health Promotion Program (UW AHPP) was founded in 1999 to improve the health of the Asian community in the Pacific Northwest. Collaboratively, UW AHPP’s objectives are to promote health, enhance culturally appropriate patient education, and increase cancer prevention. UW AHPP’s areas of collaborative research include the exploration of cultural and social deterrents to obtaining screening for various diseases, such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and hepatitis B.

UW AHPP collaborates with Alliance for Reducing Cancer, Northwest (ARC NW), International Community Health Services (ICHS), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA), and the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART) on many of its projects. Collaboratively, we have developed culturally appropriate educational programs and interventions to promote, protect, and maintain the health of Asian Americans.

Faculty

Program Director:

Shin-Ping Tu, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Attending Physician, HMC Adult Medicine Clinic
Division of General Internal Medicine
shinping@u.washington.edu

Research Personnel

Research Coordinator: 

Mei-Po Yip, PhD
yipm@u.washington.edu


Administrative Assistant:

Mary Walsh, BS
marywlsh@u.washington.edu

Location

Street Address

412A Maynard Ave. S., Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98104 
Phone: (206) 221-3212  
Fax: (206) 221-3660

Active Projects

• Alliance for Reducing Cancer, Northwest (ARC NW)
• Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART)
• Cardiovascular Health Intervention Network
• Colorectal Cancer Screening in Chinese Americans (CRC)

• Hepatitis B ESL Education for Chinese

• Liver Cancer Control in North American Chinese (LCC)

Completed Projects

• A Tobacco Cessation Program Among Asian American Men

• Computer Based Cancer Education Among Chinese Americans

• Development of a Culturally Appropriate Comprehensive Breast Education Program for Chinese and Vietnamese American Women

• Promoting Cancer Research Participation Among Chinese Women

Alliance for Reducing Cancer (ARC NW)

ARC NW Core Member

Shin-Ping Tu

The Alliance for Reducing Cancer, Northwest (ARC NW) is funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as part of the CDC's Prevention Research Center Program cooperative agreement #1-U48-DP-000050, to form a regional, collaborative team of cancer prevention and control experts whose mission is to evaluate and respond to gaps in the Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). The Community Guide focuses on cancer screening, nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco.

The mission of ARC NW is to conduct community-based cancer prevention and control research that:

• builds upon existing knowledge of cancer prevention and control
• addresses critical gaps in the Community Guide and other published literature
• leads to adoption, replication, implementation, and dissemination of successful programs in communities

Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART)

National Principal Investigator:

Moon Chen

Regional Principal Investigator:

Vicky Taylor

AANCART is a cooperative agreement between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the University of California, Davis. It is one of the Special Populations Networks funded by the National Cancer Institute. The objectives of these networks are: foster cancer awareness through infrastructure development in minority communities; support enhanced minority recruitment to clinical trials; promote the participation of minority scientists in research; and implement research initiatives involving minority groups. The four targeted regions are: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.

UW AHPP, in collaboration with Harborview Medical Center, hosted a cancer information booth on behalf of AANCART at the 2005 Chinatown-International District Summer Festival. We will host this booth again on July 8 and 9, 2006.

EthnoMed (www.ethnomed.org), a website managed by the University of Washington, contains medical and cultural information on immigrant and refugee groups. It is funded, in part, by AANCART. EthnoMed contains information specific to groups in the Seattle area, but much of the cultural and health information is of interest and applicable in other geographic areas.

Cardiovascular Health Intervention Network

Principal Investigator:

James LoGerfo

This network addresses intervention research and translation needs related to cardiovascular health (CVH), including synthesis of scientific information on the determinants of environmental and policy interventions that promote CVH, dissemination of research and tools for CVH; research on the effectiveness of health care system, work site, community, and school-based interventions; research on mechanisms for disseminating evidence-based interventions and incorporating them into state programs; development and dissemination of tools and technical assistance products for state CVH programs.

Project will be completed September 2006.

Colorectal Cancer Screening in Chinese Americans (CRC)

Principal Investigator:

Shin-Ping Tu

The CRC Project is a collaboration of Harborview Medical Center, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and International Community Health Services. The goals of this four-year project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, are to design a screening program for colorectal cancer and conduct a trial to evaluate its effectiveness as an intervention.

The project emphasizes community involvement with bilingual, bicultural health educators delivering a clinic-based intervention that includes barrier-specific counseling and the use of videotapes and printed materials.

The video, Being a Winner in Life: How to Prevent Colorectal Cancer, was developed for the intervention. In 2005, it won the Audio Visual Materials Award for the Fifteenth Annual Public Health Materials Contest sponsored by the Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section of the American Public Health Association.

Project will be completed August 2006.

Hepatitis B ESL Education for Chinese

Principal Investigator:

Vicky Taylor

The goal of this project is to contribute to the prevention of liver disease caused by hepatitis B infection.  The specific objective is to conduct a group-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a liver cancer control educational intervention for Chinese attending ESL classes.

Project will be completed in 2010.

Liver Cancer Control in North American Chinese (LCC)

Principal Investigator:

Vicky Taylor

Co-Principal Investigators:

Greg Hislop and Shin-Ping Tu 

The goal of this four-year project, awarded to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and funded by the National Cancer Institute, is to increase the proportion of less acculturated Chinese adults who have been tested for hepatitis B. The objectives include collection of qualitative and quantitative data on liver cancer prevention and to develop and evaluate a culturally appropriate intervention program.

British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) is our Canadian collaborator.

The research is being conducted in two cities: Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Project will be completed June 2007.

A Tobacco Cessation Program Among Asian American Men

Principal Investigator:

Clarence Spigner

Co-Principal Investigators: 

Alison Shigaki and Shin-Ping Tu

The major goals of this project, funded by the American Legacy Foundation, were to study and report on tobacco use among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Based at International Community Health Services, this project developed a tobacco cessation model program. Barriers and facilitators for tobacco cessation were identified as part of this three-year project.

Completed 8/31/05.

Computer-Based Cancer Education Among Chinese Americans

Principal Investigator:

Shin-Ping Tu

The goal of this AANCART pilot study was to determine the feasibility of providing interactive, culturally and linguistically appropriate health information at a community agency serving low-income, limited English-speaking Chinese immigrants. We used observational and focus group methods to determine the feasibility of using computers and the Internet in a community agency to distribute health information.

Completed 3/31/04.

Development of a Culturally Appropriate Comprehensive Breast Education Program for Chinese and Vietnamese American Women

Principal Investigator:

Shin-Ping Tu

The goal of study was to develop a comprehensive breast cancer screening program for Chinese and Vietnamese American women with limited English proficiency. An educational brochure is available at www.ethnomed.org.

Completed 8/31/03.

Promoting Cancer Research Participation Among Chinese American Women

Principal Investigator:

Nicole Urban

This study explored barriers to and facilitators of research participation among patients of a specific Asian ethnic group. Cultural and social deterrents, as well as relevant health beliefs grounded in traditional Chinese medicine, were identified. 

Completed 9/29/03.


 

Tu S, McDonell M, Spertus J, Steele B, Fihn S.  A new self-administered instrument to monitor health related quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Chest 1997; 112: 614-622.

Tu S, Taplin S, Barlow W, Boyko E.  Breast cancer screening by Asian American women in a managed care environment.  Am J Prev Med 1999; 7:55-61.

Tu S, Walsh M, Tseng B, Thompson B.  Tobacco use by Chinese-American men:  An exploratory study of factors associated with cigarette use and smoking cessation.  Asian Am Pacific Isl J Health 2000; 8 (1): 46-57.

Tu S, Yasui Y, Kuniyuki A, Thompson B, Schwartz S, Jackson J, Taylor V.  Breast cancer screening among Cambodian American women.  Cancer Detect Prev 2000; 24 (6): 549-63.

Taylor VM, Hislop TG, Jackson C, Tu S, Yasui Y, Schwartz S, Teh C, Taylor V, Kuniyuki A, Acorda E, Marchand A, Thompson B.  A randomized controlled trial of interventions to promote cervical cancer screening among Chinese women in North America.  J Natl Cancer Inst 2002; 94 (9): 670-677.

Taylor VM, Jackson JC, Yasui Y, Kuniyuki A, Acorda E, Marchand A, Schwartz SM, Tu SP, Thompson B.  Evaluation of an outreach intervention to promote cervical cancer screening among Cambodian American women.  Cancer Detect Prev 2002; 26: 320-327.

Tu S, Yasui Y, Kuniyuki A, Schwartz S, Jackson JC, Hislop G, Taylor V.  Mammography screening among Chinese American women.  Cancer 2003; 97 (5): 293-302.

Tu S, Jackson C, Teh C, Lai A, Hsu L, Chang I, Tseng B, Do H, Hislop G, Taylor V. Translation challenges of cross-cultural research and program development.  Asian Am Pacific Isl J Health Winter-Spring 2003;58-66.

Taylor V, Lessler D, Mertens K, Tu SP, Hart A, Chan N, Shu J, Thompson G.  Colorectal cancer screening among African Americans:  the importance of physician recommendation.  J Natl Med Assoc 2003;95:813-817.

Tsai JH, Choe JH, Lim JM, Acorda E, Chan N, Taylor V, Tu SP.  Developing culturally competent health knowledge: Issues of data analysis of cross-cultural, cross-language qualitative research.  Int J Qual Methods 2004; 3(4). 

D’Orsi CD, Tu SP, Nakano C, Carney PA, Poplack SP, Abraham LA, Taplin SH, Hendrick RE, Cutter GR, Berns E, Barlow WE, Elmore JG.  The current realities of delivering mammography in the community:  Do challenges with staffing and scheduling exist?  Radiology 2005; 235(2): 391-5.

Tu SP, Jackson SL, Yasui Y, Deschamps M, Hislop TG, Taylor V.  Cancer preventive screening: A cross-border comparison of United States and Canadian Chinese women.  Prev Med  2005; 41: 36-46.

Tu SP, Chen H, Chen A, Lim J, May S, Drescher C.  Clinical Trials: Understanding and perceptions of Chinese American female cancer patients. Cancer 2005;104(12 Suppl):2999-3005.

Choe J, Tu SP, Lim JM, Burke NJ, Acorda E, Taylor VM.  "Heat in their intestine": Colorectal cancer prevention beliefs among older Chinese Americans.  Ethnicity and Disease 2006; 16: 248-254.

Chen H, Tu SP, Teh CZ, Yip MP, Choe JH, Hislop TG, Taylor VM, Thompson B.  Lay beliefs about hepatitis among North American Chinese: implications for hepatitis prevention.  J Community Health 2006 Apr;31(2):94-112

Tu SP, Reisch LM, Taplin SH, Kreuter W, Elmore JG.  Breast self examination in a defined U.S. population:  Self-reported frequency, quality and associated outcomes.  J Cancer Education (in press).

Tu SP, Taylor V, Yasui Y, Chun A, Yip MP, Acorda E, Li L, Bastani R.  Culturally appropriate colorectal cancer screening through a health educator: a randomized controlled trial.  Cancer 2006 Jul 24;107(5):959-966

Taylor VM, Tu SP, Woodall E, Acorda E, Chen H, Choe J, Li L, Yasui Y, Hislop TG.  Hepatitis B knowledge and practices among Chinese immigrants to the United States.  Asian Pacific Journal of Prevention 2006 Apr-Jun;7(2):313-7.

Tsai J, Pi A, Lim J, Tu SP. “Being a Winner in Life: How to Prevent Colorectal Cancer”. Fairchild Television, Vancouver, BC, 2003.

Yip MP, Tu SP. “Best Investment: Hepatitis B Testing.” Fairchild Television, Vancouver, BC, 2005.

 

Website Links

Harborview Medical Center:
http://www.uwmedicine.org/Facilities/Harborview/

International Community Health Services:
http://www.ichs.com

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center:
http://www.fhcrc.org/

British Columbia Cancer Agency:
http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/default.htm

AANCART:
http://www.aancart.org/

American Legacy Foundation:
http://www.americanlegacy.org/americanlegacy/skins/alf/home.aspx

National Cancer Institute:
http://www.cancer.gov/ 

EthnoMed:
http://www.ethnomed.org/

American Public Health Association:
http://www.apha.org/

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Last reviewed: July 25, 2007 - Last updated: July 25, 2007 (mb)