title: Barriers to breast cancer screening participation among Jordanian and Palestinian American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing breast cancer screening (BCS) among diverse women from minority groups is a goal of health care providers and national organizations as a way to help in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. The purpose of this article is to investigate barriers to BCS encountered by Jordanian and Palestinian women living in the United States (US).
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive content analysis of interviews of 107 Jordanian and Palestinian immigrant women provided data on BCS barriers that were thematically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data revealed 4 barriers that affect Jordanian and Palestinian immigrant women's participation in BCS: (1) culture-specific barriers such as embarrassment, family relationships, fatalism, and traditional healers consultation; (2) immigration-related barriers (citizenship issues and language); (3) general barriers (including nonparticipation in health screening, stigmatization of cancer, fear, and ignorance about BCS); and (4) irrelevant barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians should be cognizant of the culture, beliefs and practices of Arab Middle Eastern immigrant women and the influence of these factors on their decision to participate in routine BCS. To increase participation in BCS and knowledge of breast cancer, appropriate language and culturally sensitive educational materials should be created and made available to Arab Middle Eastern immigrant women.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA. LinaNajib.Kawar@csulb.edu
authors.forename: Lina Najib
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Kawar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007597:Jordan / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged