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Preventive Cancer Screening Among Resettled Refugee Women from Muslim-Majority Countries: A Systematic Review

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Abstract

As refugee populations continue to age in the United States, there is a need to prioritize screening for chronic illnesses, including cancer, and to characterize how social and cultural contexts influence beliefs about cancer and screening behaviors. This study examines screening rates and socio-cultural factors influencing screening among resettled refugee women from Muslim-majority countries of origin. A systematic and integrative review approach was used to examine articles published from 1980 to 2019, using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. A total of 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. Cancer screening rates among refugee women are lower when compared to US-born counterparts. Social and cultural factors include religious beliefs about cancer, stigma, modesty and gender roles within the family context. The findings of this review, suggest that resettled refugee women underutilize preventive services, specifically mammography, Pap test and colonoscopy screening, and whose perceptions and behaviors about cancer and screening are influenced by social and cultural factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Hafifa Siddiq

  2. School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, 1898 Business Center Dr., San Bernardino, CA, 92408, USA

    Qais Alemi

  3. School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Factor Bldg, 700 Tiverton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Janet Mentes, Carol Pavlish & Eunice Lee

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  1. Hafifa Siddiq
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  2. Qais Alemi
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  5. Eunice Lee
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Correspondence to Hafifa Siddiq.

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Siddiq, H., Alemi, Q., Mentes, J. et al. Preventive Cancer Screening Among Resettled Refugee Women from Muslim-Majority Countries: A Systematic Review. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 1067–1093 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00967-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00967-6

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