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

J Immigr Minor Health. 2019 Dec;21(6):1325-1333. doi: 10.1007/s10903-018-00851-9.

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.

Keywords: Cancer disparities; Community-based participatory research; Faith-based interventions; Islam.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude to Health / ethnology*
  • Cultural Competency
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Islam / psychology*
  • Mammography / psychology*
  • Mammography / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Religion and Medicine*
  • United States