Promoting breast cancer screening among Chamorro women in Southern California.

Background: Asian American and Pacific Islander women represent a significant at-risk population for breast cancer, with their mortality rates rising while rates fall for all other racial groups.

Methods: This 3-year study employed a quasi-experimental design to test the influence of an intervention on screening rates among women age 50 years and older in Southern California compared to Northern California.

Results: Despite significant exposure of women to the educational elements in Southern California, the intervention did not increase women's knowledge, attitudes, or screening behaviors.

Conclusions: We discuss several study design and implementation limitations that could have influenced the study's results.