Muslim Americans Reaching for Health and Building Alliances (MARHABA): A study of breast and cervical cancer screening barriers and facilitators among Muslim women in New York City

Muslims are one of the fastest growing religious groups in the US but there is a lack of research on how their unique cultural, religious, and social beliefs and practices affect health behaviors and outcomes. A small but growing literature suggests Muslim women have lower rates of breast and cervical cancer screening compared to the overall population. The goal of MARHABA is to understand the barriers and facilitators of breast and cervical cancer screening among a diverse group of Muslim women in NYC. Using a community-based participatory research framework, 98 women from African American, African, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian Muslim communities were purposively sampled from community based venues. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed.  Muslim women expressed a number of barriers, including structural barriers such as lack of access due to insurance and cost, and cultural barriers such as lack of female healthcare providers and culturally competent care. There was also a lack of knowledge about cancer screening and its purpose and importance, and misinformation around cancer screening, especially for cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine. However, women expressed an interest in knowledge about cancer screening and cited faith as a facilitator in the process. Specifically, they thought using the mosque and key leaders within their faith to disseminate information would be the most effective for Muslim women. Study findings demonstrate a number of barriers and facilitators to cancer screening, which will inform the development of a large-scale campaign to promote cancer awareness and screening.