Efficacy of a Church-Based, Culturally Tailored Program to Promote Completion of Advance Directives Among Asian Americans

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2017-04, Vol.19 (2), p.381-391
• Main Authors: Sun, Angela, Bui, Quynh, Tsoh, Janice Y., Gildengorin, Ginny, Chan, Joanne, Cheng, Joyce, Lai, Ky, McPhee, Stephen, Nguyen, Tung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advance directives; Advance Directives - ethnology; Aged; Asian; Asian American people; Asian Americans; Attitudes; Behavior change; Behavior Modification; Behavioral Sciences; Beliefs; Chi-square test; China - ethnology; Christianity; Church based; Churches; Comparative Law; Cultural Competency; Data processing; Death & dying; Decision making; Demographics; Demography; Departments; Efficacy; Emigrants and Immigrants; Endorsements; English; Ethnic Groups; Feasibility; Feasibility studies; Female; Focus Groups; Guidance; Health care; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel; Health Promotion; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Humans; Intention; Internal Medicine; International & Foreign Law; Intervention; Leaders; Male; Medical personnel; Medical Schools; Medical Services; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Original Paper; Other Articles; Pilot Projects; Private International Law; Public Health; Regression analysis; Religion; Religious organizations; Socioeconomic Factors; Sociology; Statistical Analysis; Statistical Data; Studies; United States - epidemiology; Vietnam - ethnology
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0365-7

Having an Advance Directive (AD) can help to guide medical decision-making. Asian Americans (AA) are less likely than White Americans to complete an AD. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a church-based intervention to increase knowledge and behavior change related to AD among Chinese and Vietnamese Americans. This study utilized a single group preand post-intervention design with 174 participants from 4 churches. Domain assessed: demographics; AD-related knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions; AD completion; and conversations with a healthcare proxy. Data were analyzed using Chi square and multiple logistic regression techniques. We observed significant increases in participants' AD-related knowledge, intentions, and a gain in supportive beliefs and attitudes about AD, resulting in 71.8 % AD completion, and 25.0 % having had a proxy conversation. Providing culturally-tailored intervention and step-by-step guidance can help to achieve significant changes in AD related knowledge and behavior in AA church goers.