Zabbaleen Women's Healthcare Experiences with HCV in Cairo, Egypt

Background: The women of the Zabbaleen community are a unique population in Cairo, Egypt with several characteristics known to contribute to inequities in healthcare. The aim of the study is to increase understanding of health disparities and inequities related to culture, ethnic origin, gender and SES by exploring the healthcare experiences of these women in Egypt with Hepatitis C. The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain information useful in developing programs to provide culturally appropriate interventions and improve health for vulnerable populations.

Methods: The ethnographic study included non-participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 12 women of childbearing age from Mokattem, Cairo, Egypt. Two contact/interpreters assisted with the interviews. Written Arabic transcripts were translated into English written text and analyzed with field notes using the NVIVO 7.

Results: Three themes of the healthcare experiences of the women with HCV were Suffering, Fatalism and Fate. These themes present the connections between gender, low SES, low literacy/education levels, ethnicity and cultural norms in relation to the women and their health.

Conclusion: Throughout the three themes, the cultural norms of gender, economics, and religion indicate a continual influx of forces shaping the direction of women's experiences with HCV that mixes the Islamic and Coptic ideas of Suffering, Fate and Faith. Zabbaleen women require programs that focus on their specific needs that encompass beliefs and are adaptable to an evolving situation in a country attempting to integrate strong religious and political beliefs in a harmonious manner.