Adapting and implementing cancer education to increase screenings and vaccinations in refugee families

Background: Refugees face health problems that originate from the conditions of their home country, develop during their migration experience, or emerge after resettlement in the United States. Cancer prevention education and screening among refugees are not standard services provided by resettlement agencies. Services exist that could address the health of refugees, but complex barriers exist that prevent their use. Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is a program that provides breast, cervical and liver cancer education to refugee women and links them into appropriate health services.

Objective: Describe individual and group education adapted for Bhutanese, Burmese (Karen ethnic group), Somalian-Bantu, and Congolese refugees. Highlight different approaches used for each group.

Methods: Refugee community leaders/community experts  provided consultation during the adaptation of the research tested intervention programs (RTIPs).  This process included reviewing and discussing existing materials, incorporating cultural beliefs and norms, and discussing with community experts best approaches for presenting the information. Community experts also reviewed translated materials for accuracy.

Results: The result of this process was the development of two culturally and linguistically appropriate cervical and breast cancer education materials.

Discussion: RTIPs are effective in increasing cervical and breast cancer screening. Adapting these educational interventions for other populations, including recently arriving refugee populations, expands the ability to reach underserved populations.  The process of partnering with community leaders and experts from the community conveys respect for their culture, increases the ability to reach the target population and increases support for the intervention.