title: Culturally informed views on cancer screening: a qualitative research study of the differences between older and younger Somali immigrant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Somali women are infrequently screened for breast or cervical cancer, and there is a paucity of evidence-based interventions to increase cancer screening in this community. In order to create a culturally relevant intervention for Somali women living in Minnesota, we sought to understand what Somali immigrant women know about breast and cervical cancer, what are the attitudes toward screening and what cultural barriers are there to screen as well as cultural factors that would facilitate screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  In partnership with a community-based organization, New American Community Services (NACS), focus groups were conducted to explore the issues described above. Two focus groups were held with younger women age 20 to 35 and two were held with women age 36 to 65.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine women participated in the four focus groups. The women identified 1) differences in health care seeking behavior in Somalia verses the United States; 2) cultural understanding of cancer and disease; 3) barriers to mammogram or Pap screening; 4) facilitators to seeking preventive cancer screening; and 5) risk factors for developing cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cultural misperceptions and attitudes need to be addressed in developing culturally-appropriate interventions to improve screening uptake for Somali women. A nuanced response is required to address barriers specific to younger and older groups. Culturally informed beliefs can be integrated into intervention development, preventive care and screening promotion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Deborah E, Powell Center for Women's Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA. raymo002@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Warfa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Farnaaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kia
authors.forename: Fardowsa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Abdifatah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Kathryn B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Goldade
authors.forename: Rebekah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Kolawole
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuyemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014932:Women's Health Services; D001741:Black or African American