Barriers to screening for breast and cervical cancer in the Somali immigrant community

Background: Screening rates for breast and cervical cancer are lower among immigrant Somali women than among the general population. Health care services in Somalia did not include cancer screening so women who emigrate to the US have likely never received cancer screening. Minnesota has the largest population of Somalis in the nation, making it an ideal location to understand Somali cultural perceptions that may pose barriers to, or facilitate, breast and cervical cancer screening. Objectives: In partnership with New American Community Services (NACS), a community-based organization that serves the African immigrant community, the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Minnesota Center for Cancer Collaborations (MC3) is engaging the Somali community through Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in the cultural adaptation of an evidence-based health promotion program, Friend-to-Friend, to increase breast and cervical cancer screening. Methods: Ten key informant interviews and five focus groups (twenty-nine female and nine male participants) were conducted by MC3-trained Somali researchers. An analysis of the major themes from the focus groups will inform the cultural adaptation of Friend-to-Friend. Results: Preliminary analysis of the focus group data yielded 8 domains: health care seeking differences (Africa vs. US); cultural values around prevention; barriers to mammogram and pap smears; facilitators of mammogram and pap smears; risk factors related to cancer; protective factors related to cancer; health education recommendations. Conclusion: Results from the qualitative analysis of the focus groups are being used to develop a culturally tailored intervention to increase breast and cervical cancer screening.