Kim Jaffee
Wayne State University, USA
Title: Breast Cancer Screening Barriers Among Arab Women in the United States and Israel
Biography
Biography: Kim Jaffee
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cancer among women worldwide and in the US (CDC, 2012). Among Israeli and Arab women in Israel, BC is the most common malignancy, and between 1996 and 2007 BC mortality decreased significantly among Israeli women but remained stable among Arab women (Keinan-Boker, et al., 2013). Delayed diagnosis contributes to BC mortality among women in Middle Eastern countries (WHO, 2006), as well as in the US. A number of studies have suggested that cancer is diagnosed at later stages for Arab Americans and that prevention efforts should be better understood (Arshad, 2011; Hirko et al., 2013). Arab American women in Detroit were significantly less likely to have received a mammogram compared to all women in Michigan (Schwartz, 2008). Psychosocial factors associated with BC screening among Arab women include fear of the screening process, fear of negative results, embarrassment and stigmatization, language barriers, lack of knowledge, transportation and economic barriers, and cultural and religious barriers (Cohen & Azaiza, 2008). There are no known studies comparing BC screening barriers for Arab women in Israel and the US. The current study compares cultural barriers to BC screening and cancer screening adherence among Arab women in the US and Israel. The sample consisted of 416 women -- 77% (N=360) were Arab Israeli and 23% (N=90) were Arab American. Not only are cultural barriers significantly different among Arab American women compared to Israeli Arab women, but breast cancer cultural barriers are significantly associated with adherence to screening guidelines.