Veiled yet vulnerable. Breast cancer screening and the Muslim way of life.

OBJECTIVES

While multiple reports have been published in the literature that describe the effect of religion and spirituality on healthcare practices, few have been reported that attempt to describe the effect of the fundamental beliefs and customs of the followers of Islam. A qualitative study aimed toward gaining an understanding of the degree to which Islamic beliefs and customs influence followers' breast cancer screening practices was, therefore, undertaken.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was designed with semistructured focus groups as the primary means of gathering data. A purposefully selected sample of nine Muslim women were recruited to participate in the study. Throughout the focus group, attempts were made to engage the women in a manner that stimulated in-depth discussion of the beliefs and customs influencing breast cancer screening.

RESULTS

Data revealed that the religious beliefs and customs of the Muslim women participating in the focus group significantly influenced their participation in breast cancer screening. Despite their knowledge of the benefits of regular breast cancer screening, the women indicated that they choose not to participate in available breast cancer screening programs, given that they were not structured in a manner that was consistent with the beliefs and customs of Islam.

CONCLUSIONS

This study illustrates the manner and degree to which Islamic beliefs and customs can influence the breast cancer screening behavior of Muslim women and the importance of carefully designing breast health programs tailored to the needs of this population of women.