Project 2: Family’s influence on screening participation in collective cultures

April 30, 2026


There are two areas of work in this space:

A) Qualitative exploration with 13 Chinese families living in Victoria, Australia

B) Cross-cultural survey with offspring who have a parent or parent-in-law who are associated with five ethnic groups (Anglo, Arabic, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese), and are eligible for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

Aims of the research

This research aims to explore the question of ‘how do Chinese families in Australia, living in extended family households, interact, negotiate and arrive at healthcare decisions, in particular, the decision about participating in the bowel cancer screening program’

Scope

Analysis of interview data with 13 Chinese families (39 interviews, three interviews per family, one with an eligible person, one with an adult child, and one joint interview)

Progress to date

  • Completed data analysis
  • A manuscript titled ““Looking after myself… is looking after my family”: Influences on the decision to screen for bowel cancer among Chinese migrants to Australia” has been submitted to the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, and is under review

Findings/recommendations

Factors contributing to the decision about participation in the NBCSP include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. awareness of the NBCSP/screening;
  2. Attitude towards participation; and
  3. Ability to implement screening

Influences on awareness

  • Self-awareness
  • Lack of awareness due to poor English/language proficiency
  • Confusion between FIT screening vs diagnostic procedure (colonoscopy)
  • Advice from HCPs and/or information shared by family, friends and community members
  • Experience in the country of origin

Attitude towards participation is determined by health beliefs and priority in life

  • Unwillingness to add burden to the family (for some participants) vs looking after my health is looking after my family (for other participants)
  • For some, their own health is not a priority vs being proactive about my health is good for my family in the long-term
  • Familiar with and trust vs distrust the health system of the hosting country

Ability to implement screening

  • Rely upon family members’ (e.g. adult children) help (e.g. explaining the instructions or locating information in native languages and interpreting results etc), but children are not available all the time
  • Some participants prefer not to share their health condition nor make health decisions with their children or other family members

Aims of the research

  • Main study aims to investigate family’s influence on bowel screening participation in collective cultures
  • Sub-study aims to examine whether parents’ chronic disease influences offspring encouragement of, and practical help for their parents’ screening

Scope

Survey data were collected from 1,025 adult children of five ethnic groups (Anglo, Arabic, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese).

Progress to date

  • Completed data collection and data analysis
  • Sub-set quantitative data analysis focuses on whether parental chronic condition/s influence adult children’s encouragement of and practical help to parents’ screening
  • Main set quantitative data analysis focuses on whether adult children of ethnic minority parents are more likely to encourage their parents to screen for bowel cancer via NBCSP than adult children of parents born in Australia. If so, what factors explain cultural differences in whether adult children encourage their parents to participate in bowel cancer screening
  • A manuscript titled “Ethnic Differences and Parental Chronic Disease in Adult Children’s Encouragement of, and Practical Help with Parental Colorectal Cancer Screening in Australia”, based on sub-set data analysis has been submitted to the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
  • Another manuscript, based on main set data analysis, is under preparation

Findings/recommendations

Findings from sub-set quantitative data analysis

  • Children from ethnic minority communities reported higher baseline support than Anglo-Australian children
  • Parental chronic disease was associated with higher odds of children’s encouragement and practical help with their parents’ screening

Findings from main set quantitative data analysis

  • CALD offspring recorded significantly higher Filial Piety, Kin Keeping, and Influence than Anglo offspring
  • CALD offspring were more likely to have encouraged a parent to screen
  • Results confirmed hypothesised relationships


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