RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Theoretically Informed Correlates of Hepatitis B Knowledge among Four Asian Groups: The Health Behavior Framework

As many as two million people (Cohen et al., 2011) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection live in the U.S., with Asian and Pacific Islanders making up the largest proportion of those infected (Mast et al., 2006; Lok & McMahon, 2009). Among Asian Americans, HBV accounts for 80% of liver cancer cases compared to 19% for non-Latino Whites (Hwang et al., 1996). Because of HBV infection, Asian Americans have much higher rates of liver cancer than non-Hispanic whites, making liver cancer the most important health disparity for Asian Americans (Chen, 2005). HBV testing can lead to earlier detection and hence potentially reduce the onset of serious sequelae of chronic liver disease. In addition, testing and, if indicated, vaccination can reduce HBV transmission (Weinbaum et al., 2009). Studies conducted in Asian American populations have reported on various factors related to HBV testing and vaccination, such as knowledge, doctor recommendation, and demographics (Choe et al., 2006; Taylor et al., 2006; Bastani et al., 2007; Ma et al., 2007; Wu et al., 2007;