Arab American Immigrants in New York: Health Care and Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs

Abstract

Arab immigrants living in the United States total between 1.5 million and 3.5 million, and have been growing in number each decade. New York's Arab population, at 405,000, ranks third in the U.S. after California and Michigan. Despite the large numbers, little health research has focused on this population. Data about the cancer incidence, mortality, and screening practices of Arab Americans is overwhelmingly lacking. To better understand the health care and cancer knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Arab American immigrants, five single-gender focus groups were convened with Arab men and women in New York City. Attention was given to factors that act as barriers to utilization of general health care services, and of cancer prevention, treatment, and support services. The data revealed the importance of providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health interventions in partnership with trusted community leaders, and the need for follow-up research of this understudied immigrant population.

Mental Health Stigma in the Muslim Community

“…(Rasool, 2000(Rasool, , p. 1479. This core belief is reflected in multiple studies on the perspectives of Muslim community members extending to both physical and mental illnesses (DeShaw, 2006;Padella et al, 2012;Ypinazar & Margolis, 2006;Shah, Ayash, Pharaon, & Gany, 2008). For example, South Asian Muslim women queried about the cause of breast cancer strongly affirmed God's role in determining both who gets sick and who is healed (Johnson et al, 1999).…”

“…In Muslim culture, belief in kader --or destiny is strong. While kader may lead to fatalism in some cases (Shah et al, 2008), it also suggests positive acceptance of Allah's will and higher levels of optimism with respect to healing (Hasnain, Shaikh & Shanawani, 2005;Nabolsi & Carson, 2011). For instance, illness may be seen as an opportunity to remedy disconnection from Allah or a lack of faith through regular prayer and a sense of self-responsibility (Cinnirella & Loewenthal, 1999;Padella et al, 2012;Youssef & Deane, 2006).…”

Perspectives on Preventive Health Care and Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening Among Iraqi Women Refugees

“…The studies show great variability among ethnic communities with a variety of socio-demographic, access, and cultural belief factors along with limited knowledge [15,16], racial discrimination [15,17], embarrassment [18], fear of diagnosis [17], underestimation of risk [17], and lack of insurance [19], and culturally appropriate health resources described as barriers [20][21][22]. One understudied group of refugee and immigrant women are Arabs.…”

Smoking Behavior in Arab Americans: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, cultural traditions and religion are very entangled among Arabs, thus making it difficult to differentiate whether a specific behavior is supported by the culture or the religion. For example, fatalism and total reliance on God's will are common beliefs of both Muslim and non-Muslim Arabs [67], making these important factors influencing certain health beliefs and behaviors such as smoking and its association with cancer. Therefore, religion and religiosity are also important to address in future studies investigating smoking and smoking cessation in Arab Americans.…”