Engaging Immigrant and Refugee Women in Breast Health Education

Abstract

This project assessed the impact of a community-based educational program on breast cancer knowledge and screening among Buffalo (NY) immigrant and refugee females. Program participants completed language-matched pre- and post-test assessments during a single session educational program; breast cancer screening information was obtained from the mobile mammography unit to which participants were referred. Pre- and post-test knowledge scores were compared to assess changes in responses to each of the six individual knowledge items, as well as overall. Mammogram records were reviewed to identify Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) scores. The proportion of correct responses to each of the six knowledge items increased significantly on the post-program assessments; 33 % of women >40 years old completed mammograms. The findings suggest that a health education program for immigrant and refugee women, delivered in community-based settings and involving interpreters, can enhance breast cancer knowledge and lead to improvements in mammography completion.

The Medical Evaluation of the Newly Resettled Female Refugee: A Narrative Review

“…Patient navigation services have also been shown to increase screening rates, though these services are unavailable in most healthcare settings. In addition, encouraging preventative health visits and increased contact with the healthcare system has been correlated with increased cancer screenings (Gondek et al, 2015;Brown, Consedine & Magai 2006;Percac-Lima,Ashburner, Bond, Oo & Atlas, 2013).…”

Using Intervention Mapping to Develop Health Education and Health Policy Components to Increase Breast Cancer Screening and Chemotherapy Adherence Among Syrian and Iraqi Refugee Women in Beirut, Lebanon

“…A combination of personal determinants such as low selfefficacy, low knowledge, high perceived barriers, and low perceived susceptibility; and environmental factors such as low awareness of physicians regarding the severity of metastatic breast cancer among refugee women, lack of health literate and culturally competent educational skills, and issues related to the local healthcare system (unavailability of funding for chronic disease screening and treatment for refugees, high costs of medical services, lack of properly educated nurses, and lack of transportation means from camps to hospitals) have been negatively affecting screening and chemotherapy completion rates among the target population (1,3,(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Aside from the lack of funding allocated by the main refugee organization in the country, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the absence of human right policies at the societal level to protect the integrity of refugees and ensure the equitable receival of urgent medical care by disadvantaged populations amidst prevailing political corruption has worsened mammography and treatment rates by contributing to the stigma associated with e refugee status in the host community (17,18).…”

Uptake of cancer screenings among a multiethnic refugee population in North Texas, 2014-2018

“…[15,18,27,28] Breast cancer screening was higher in our study than what was observed in research conducted in Buffalo, New York (54% vs 35%). [29] This study bears similarities to ours because it included the same culture groups and focused on never screened and not up-to-date participants. The difference in completion proportions between the studies may be explained by the type of education and assistive services offered.…”

“…Other studies among never screened resulted in refugee women in Buffalo (NY) following a community-based educational program, 20 of 58 (34%) women received a mammogram who had never completed a mammogram screening before intervention. [29] United States domestic screening requirements for arriving refugees mandate refugees to have Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) screening. [33] However, few of our participants recalled a prior testing, nor could they verify their HBV status at the time of enrollment (69% did not know their status).…”