Abstract A79: Perspectives of breast and cervical cancer screening among female African immigrants to the U.S.

Abstract

Black women in the US have both a higher percentage of late-stage diagnoses as well as the highest rates of mortality from breast cancer when compared to White, Hispanic-Latino, American-Indian and Asian women in the US. Moreover, in comparison to these same ethnic subgroups, Black women also have the second highest prevalence of cervical cancer. Many reports evaluating the cancer outcomes of Black women combine African born immigrants and US born Blacks. Previous literature however, suggests that this categorization ignores subtle yet important cultural differences between the two groups, which in turn have widespread effects on breast and cervical cancer screening practices. Therefore, this study investigated knowledge and awareness levels of breast and cervical cancer screening practices, specifically among female African born immigrants to the US. Utilizing qualitative methods, this project was completed in conjunction with the African Women's Cancer Awareness Association (AWCAA), an established organization with strong ties to the substantial African immigrant population in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Data were collected from 41 participants through key informant interviews, focus group sessions and a questionnaire, over a three-month study period. Key informant interviews and focus group sessions ranged in duration from 45-90 minutes and followed a semi-structured interview approach. AWCAA assisted in the recruitment of women for focus groups that were structured by age, with women 20-39 and 40-70 years old. Results suggest that fatalism, stigma and privacy, are among the major factors that affect the decision to seek preventative screening for breast and cervical cancer. Additionally, the study implies that cervical cancer awareness is significantly lower among this population when compared to breast cancer awareness. Participants also attributed their lack of screening to its low priority in comparison to other obligations such as job and family commitments. Furthermore, spirituality and the belief that cancer is not a part of God's plan for their life, was seen through repetition of the comment, “It is not my portion.” Although this is a small, focused study, it is adds to the minimal current literature regarding African immigrant women's perspectives of breast and cervical cancer screening. Additionally, this study demonstrates differences between women of African descent residing in the US and the need for continued research in this field. Information to this regard is critical for researchers, physicians and public health educators, aiming to design culturally appropriate interventions to reduce the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer among female African immigrants. Citation Format: Ezinne G. Ndukwe, Karen Patricia Williams, Vanessa Sheppard, Amr Soliman. Perspectives of breast and cervical cancer screening among female African immigrants to the U.S. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A79.