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.
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Notes
“Ancestry” was defined by the U.S. census bureau as “ethnic origin, descent, ‘roots,’ heritage, or place of birth of the person or the person’s ancestors.”
Researchers have noted a significant discrepancy between community estimates and the census data, partly due to the fact that the U.S. census short form requires that Arab American respondents identify as “White” or “Other,” should they choose to write-in a self-identification. As a result, the census estimate is only based on the small percentage of people who complete the U.S. census long form and declare a country of birth in which Arabic is primarily spoken.
In the United States, this includes (in descending order) individuals who identify as Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, Palestinian, Jordanian, Moroccan, Iraqi, Yemeni, Kurdish, Algerian, Saudi Arabian, Tunisian, Kuwaiti, Libyan, and Berber.
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Funded as a Special Populations Network by the National Cancer Institute’s Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, grant # UO1 CA86286.
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Acknowledgements
Funding for this project was provided by the National Cancer Institute’s Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (UO1 CA86286). We would like to acknowledge the following contributors: TAMKEEN: The Center for Arab American Empowerment, Inc.; Ghada Jiha, M.A.; Souha Nikowitz, Ph.D.; Afrah Yusr; Dikra Algutaini; Maha Elattar, M.D.; Hanan Salman, M.D.; Samreen Hasan; Chafic Ayoub.
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Shah, S.M., Ayash, C., Pharaon, N.A. et al. Arab American Immigrants in New York: Health Care and Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs. J Immigrant Minority Health 10, 429–436 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9106-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9106-2