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Changing Mammography-Related Beliefs Among American Muslim Women: Findings from a Religiously-Tailored Mosque-Based Intervention

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Abstract

Background To advance the literature on religiously-tailored interventions and on Muslim cancer screening disparity research, we report on a behavioral intervention that used religiously-tailored messages to address salient mammography-related barrier beliefs. Methods We crafted specific, religiously-tailored messages and designed a two-session, peer-led, mosque-based educational program to deploy them. t-tests assessed pre- and post-intervention changes in mammography knowledge, intention to obtain mammography, and levels of agreement with mammography-related barrier and facilitator beliefs, while ordered logistic regression models assessed predictors of change. Results 58 women participated, 29 who were South-Asian and 18 Arab. Mean mammography knowledge increased post-intervention. Participants’ overall mean agreement with facilitator beliefs trended upward and there was a significant decrease in agreement with the belief "Breast Cancer Screening is not important because God decides who will get cancer," Discussion Religiously-tailored messages provide an opportunity for addressing barriers to preventive health in a theologically consonant way.

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Acknowledgements

A Mentored Research Scholar Grant in Applied and Clinical Research, MRSG-14-032-01-CPPB from the American Cancer Society supported AIP’s time-effort, the time-effort of SM and SH, and project funds. We are grateful for the many efforts of our research assistants: Shaheen Nageeb, Akila Ally, Hadiyah Muhammad, Milkie Vu, and Ahamed Milhan. Finally, we acknowledge the critical support of community advisory board members, imams, mosque staff, peer educators, and lecturers: Fatema Mirza, Nancy Romanchek, Shehla Diba, Anam Eljabali, MahRukh Mian, Dr. Rabia Bhatti, Kay Metres, Nancy Amicangelo, Tamara Gray, Dr. Rania Awaad, Kifah Shukair, Masood Iqbal, Luma Mahairi, Lynn Salahi, Beenish Manzoor, Ayesha Sultana, Shaykh Kifah Mustapha, Mufti Nazim Mangera, Kamran Hussain, Amanat Ansari, Ali Tai, Lila Zegar, Rula Zegar, Aisha Rahima, Badie Ali, and Elham Atieh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Initiative on Islam and Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Aasim I. Padela, Sana Malik & Stephen Hall

  2. Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Aasim I. Padela & Stephen Hall

  3. Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Aasim I. Padela

  4. School of Social Welfare, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Sana Malik

  5. Institute for Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

    Hena Din

  6. Section of General Internal Medicine, The Univezrsity of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Michael Quinn

  7. The University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Aasim I. Padela

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  1. Aasim I. Padela
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Correspondence to Aasim I. Padela.

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Padela, A.I., Malik, S., Din, H. et al. Changing Mammography-Related Beliefs Among American Muslim Women: Findings from a Religiously-Tailored Mosque-Based Intervention. J Immigrant Minority Health 21, 1325–1333 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-00851-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-00851-9

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