title: Perspectives on preventive health care and barriers to breast cancer screening among Iraqi women refugees.
abstract: Since the Iraq war began in 2003, over 4 million Iraqis have been displaced. Little is known about preventive cancer care in this population, but stark disparities have been documented. The purpose of this study was to assess the perspectives of Iraqi women refugees on preventive care and perceived barriers to breast cancer screening. Interviews were conducted in Arabic with twenty Iraqi refugee women by a bilingual (English/Arabic) medical student, transcribed, translated and coded according to established qualitative content and thematic analysis procedures. Psychosocial barriers, culturally mediated beliefs, and health consequences of war were identified as major themes, ultimately showing what factors, alone and collectively, have impeded Iraqi refugee women's ability and motivation to obtain breast cancer screening. To improve cancer prevention and decrease disparities in care in this most vulnerable population, culturally appropriate health education and outreach programs, as well as further community-level targeted studies, are needed.
authors: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02150, USA. altaf_saadi@hms.harvard.edu
authors: Altaf
authors: A
authors: Saadi
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bond
authors: Sanja
authors: S
authors: Percac-Lima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007493:Iraq / Q000208:ethnology; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology*; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D055815:Young Adult