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. 2014 May 1;11:E72. doi: 10.5888/pcd11.130245

Table 2. Health Behavior Framework Constructs and Sample Messages Addressing Knowledge in 4 Asian American Populations.

Health Behavior Framework Construct Vietnamese American (Content of Bilingual Booklet) Hmong American (Content of Flipchart) Korean American (Content of Bilingual Booklet) Cambodian American (Content of Flipchart)
Knowledge of nature of hepatitis Ba Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease caused by hepatitis B. It can cause short-term and/or long-term liver inflammation (hepatitis), liver failure, cirrhosis and cancer. If you do have chronic hepatitis B infection, you should avoid alcohol and pain medications containing acetaminophen. Hepatitis B can cause severe infection of the liver, liver cancer, and death. It is very small and you can’t see it with your naked eyes.
Photo of magnified virus
Hepatitis B lives in the blood and other bodily fluids (saliva, pus, semen).
Hepatitis B is a serious disease that spreads from person to person. Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than the AIDS virus. Hepatitis B can cause liver disease and lead to cancer if left untreated.
Hepatitis B is a swelling of the liver caused by a viral infection. The hepatitis B virus lives in the blood and other body fluids. People who are infected with the hepatitis B virus can pass it on to others. Hepatitis B can spread very easily.
Knowledge of transmission routes of hepatitis Bb You can get hepatitis B by coming into contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids (blood, saliva, pus, semen). Some ways you can get infected:
  • Infected mother to baby during childbirth

  • Having sex with an infected person without a condom

  • Exposure to infected blood

  • Using contaminated needles

  • Sharing infected toothbrushes

  • Sharing infected razors

Knowledge of symptoms of hepatitis B infectionc Many people with hepatitis B do not know they have it because they feel healthy and do not yet have symptoms. Feel tired, feel sick to your stomach, have a fever, do not want to eat, have stomach pain, have diarrhea; some people have dark-yellow urine, light-colored stools, and yellowish eyes and skin; many people do not have any symptoms and may feel fine. Illustration of normal and jaundiced skin tone Most people don’t have any symptoms. Most people who are infected with hepatitis B have no symptoms. Some people who are infected with hepatitis B have symptoms such as tiredness, loss of appetite, fever, nausea and vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and yellowish skin and eyes.
Knowledge of function of liverd Illustration of the abdominal cavity organs, including liver Helps digest food, absorb nutrients, fight infections and remove waste products and poisons from the body. Illustration of the abdominal cavity organs, including liver No explanation, pictures, or illustrations provided Illustration of the abdominal cavity organs, including liver
Knowledge of hepatitis B teste The only way to know [if you are infected] is to get a hepatitis B blood test. About 1 teaspoon of blood is needed for the test. Focus group finding: Concern in the Vietnamese community about the amount of blood that would be drawn for the test. There is a test available. Photo: blood drawn from arm for hepatitis B test. It is a simple blood test. It is usually not included in routine blood testing, you need to ask your doctor specifically for a hepatitis B test. Focus group finding: Misconception in the Korean community that Hepatitis B test is automatically done during routine blood testing. The only way for people to find out if they have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus is to have a blood test.
a

Content similar for all groups; most simplified for Hmong Americans.

b

Content similar for all groups – only example for Korean study is shown.

c

Only 2 of the 4 studies described symptoms.

d

Only Hmong study described basic liver function.

e

Slightly different descriptions of hepatitis B test based on focus group findings.