Sources of health information among Chinese immigrants to the Pacific Northwest.

Background: Chinese immigrants to North America experience cancer-related health disparities and underutilize preventive care. Little is known about Chinese immigrants' sources of health information.

Methods: A population-based survey of Chinese immigrants was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Seattle, Washington.

Results: The study group included 899 individuals. Less than three fourths of the respondents reported receiving health information from health care providers, and only a minority used the Internet as a source of health information. We found significant differences between the sources of health information in Seattle and Vancouver.

Conclusions: Health educators should consider available media outlets as well as the characteristics of a target community when planning intervention programs for Chinese immigrants.