NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal.
Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisbon, Portugal.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 6;18(14):7248. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147248.
Cervical cancer screening (CCS) has been proven to reducing mortality of cervical cancer; yet migrant women show a lower participation in screening compared to non-migrants. This study explores the perspectives of healthcare workers and community workers on the factors influencing the CCS participation of migrant women living in Portugal. A qualitative study with online focus groups was conducted. Healthcare workers experienced in CCS and community workers working with migrant communities were purposively sampled. A semi-structured guide was used covering the participation of migrant women in CCS, barriers, and strategies to overcome them. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Participants considered that migrant women have low participation in CCS related to insufficient knowledge, low risk perception, and lack of interest on preventive care. Other barriers such as difficulties in accessing the healthcare services, relationship with healthcare workers, language, and cultural differences were highlighted. Promoting continuity of care, disseminating culturally tailored information, and use of self-sampling methods were suggested to improve participation in CCS. Inequalities in access to CCS among migrant women are mostly caused by information gaps and healthcare system-related barriers. Building a migrant-friendly healthcare system that creates opportunities for healthcare workers to establish relationships with their patients and delivering culturally and linguistically adapted information may contribute to overcoming those barriers and increasing the participation of migrant women in screening.
宫颈癌筛查（CCS）已被证明可降低宫颈癌死亡率；然而，与非移民女性相比，移民女性参与筛查的比例较低。本研究探讨了医疗保健工作者和社区工作者对影响居住在葡萄牙的移民女性 CCS 参与因素的看法。这是一项定性研究，采用在线焦点小组进行。有 CCS 经验的医疗保健工作者和与移民社区合作的社区工作者被有目的地抽样。使用半结构化指南涵盖了移民女性参与 CCS、障碍以及克服这些障碍的策略。使用内容分析对数据进行分析。参与者认为，移民女性对 CCS 的参与度较低，原因是知识不足、风险认知度低以及对预防保健缺乏兴趣。其他障碍包括难以获得医疗保健服务、与医疗保健工作者的关系、语言和文化差异。为了提高 CCS 的参与度，参与者建议推广连续护理、传播量身定制的文化信息以及使用自我采样方法。移民女性获得 CCS 的机会不平等主要是由于信息差距和与医疗保健系统相关的障碍造成的。建立一个对移民友好的医疗保健系统，为医疗保健工作者与患者建立关系创造机会，并提供文化和语言适应的信息，可能有助于克服这些障碍，提高移民女性的筛查参与率。
