Breast cancer screening among Vietnamese Americans: a randomized controlled trial of lay health worker outreach

BACKGROUND: Vietnamese-American women underutilize breast cancer screening. DESIGN: An RCT was conducted comparing the effect of lay health workers (LHWs) and media education (ME) to ME alone on breast cancer screening among these women. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Conducted in California from 2004 to 2007, the study included 1100 Vietnamese-American women aged > or = 40 years who were recruited through LHW social networks. Data were analyzed from 2007 to 2009. INTERVENTION: Both groups received targeted ME. The intervention group received two LHW educational sessions and two telephone calls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in self-reported receipt of mammography ever, mammography within 2 years, clinical breast examination (CBE) ever, or CBE within 2 years. RESULTS: The LHW+ME group increased receipt of mammography ever and mammography in the past 2 years (84.1% to 91.6% and 64.7% to 82.1%, p