Assessing liver health literacy and screening behaviors in an immigrant community in Canada

Abstract

Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada face elevated chronic liver disease risk, yet awareness and hepatitis screening remain low. In a bilingual survey of 966 Bangladeshi adults in Calgary, only 23% reported prior testing and overall liver health knowledge was low. Lack of physician recommendation was the primary barrier. Higher liver health knowledge was strongly associated with screening uptake. Findings suggest screening remains largely provider-initiated and highlight the need for culturally responsive liver health literacy interventions.