Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Cervical Cancer Screening Among the Bhutanese Refugee Community in Omaha, Nebraska

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer mortality among women with the vast majority of patients in developing countries. Bhutanese refugees in the United States are from South Central Asia, the 4th leading region of the world for cervical cancer incidence. Over the past few years, Bhutanese refugees have increased significantly in Nebraska. This study evaluates current knowledge of cervical cancer and screening practices among the Bhutanese refugee women in Omaha, Nebraska. The study aimed to investigate cervical cancer and screening knowledge and perceptions about the susceptibility and severity of cervical cancer and perceived benefits and barriers to screening. Self-administered questionnaires and focus groups based on the Health Belief Model were conducted among 42 healthy women from the Bhutanese refugee community in Omaha. The study revealed a significant lack of knowledge in this community regarding cervical cancer and screening practices, with only 22.2 % reporting ever hearing of a Pap test and 13.9 % reporting ever having one. Only 33.3 % of women were in agreement with their own perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer. Women who reported ever hearing about the Pap test tended to believe more strongly about curability of the disease if discovered early than women who never heard about the test (71.4 vs. 45.0 %, for the two groups. respectively). Refugee populations in the United States are in need for tailored cancer education programs especially when being resettled from countries with high risk for cancer.

High-risk human papillomavirus infection and abnormal cervical cytology among Nepali and Bhutanese refugee women living in eastern Nepal

“…The findings of the study have implications in cervical cancer prevention among Bhutanese women in Bhutan, Nepal, and western countries. A small study ( n  = 42) conducted among resettled Bhutanese women in the United States found that only 22.2% report ever hearing of a Pap test and 13.9% report ever having one [20]. Moreover, this study also reported that only one in three women perceived themselves to be susceptible to cervical cancer.…”

Annual review of Asian American Psychology, 2014.

“…Studies reviewed under this category typically focused on breast and/or cervical cancer ( n = 10; Hasnain, Menon, Ferrans, & Szalacha, 2014; Haworth, Margalit, Ross, Nepal, & Soliman, 2014; K. E. Kim et al, 2014; Kue, Zukoski, Keon, & Thorburn, 2014; Monnat, 2014; A.…”

Annual review of Asian American Psychology, 2013.

“…Cancer screening and management: Studies reviewed under this category typically focused on breast and/or cervical cancer (n = 10; Hasnain, Menon, Ferrans, & Szalacha, 2014;Haworth, Margalit, Ross, Nepal, & Soliman, 2014;K. E. Kim et al, 2014;Kue, Zukoski, Keon, & Thorburn, 2014;Monnat, 2014;A.…”

“…Among studies with quantitative-correlational designs, only one study used a longitudinal design (Ryu et al, 2014). Some studies used qualitative designs, including interviews or focus groups to investigate the participants' cancer screening attitudes, experiences, and specific barriers to cancer screening (Haworth et al, 2014;Kue et al, 2014;Sparks, 2014). One study used experimental design (intervention) to identify factors that can promote cancer screening in Asian American communities (A. B.…”