Values and their relationship with emotion processing and physical and psychological symptoms among Jewish and Arab breast cancer survivors.

Introduction: Individuals from different cultures differ in their values, which encompass belief systems that individuals develop based on their culture, and play a pivotal role in shaping their perspectives. These values may affect emotion processing (EP): the recognition, interpretation, expression and response to bodily sensations, translated as emotions. These varying values may contribute to distinct emotional experiences, impacting physical and psychological symptoms in breast cancer (BC) survivors.

The Moderating Role of Clinical Experience in the Relationship Between Patient Characteristics, Attributed Barriers to Mammography, Beliefs About Cancer, and Clinical Decisions: a Study of Israeli Arab Physicians.

This study examined whether clinical experience moderates the relationship between three potential physician biases (patient characteristics; cancer-related beliefs, i.e., traditional and fatalistic beliefs; and attributed barriers to mammogram performance) and clinical decisions (recommending and discussing mammography with Arab women patients).

The role of explanatory models of breast cancer in breast cancer prevention behaviors among Arab-Israeli physicians and laywomen.

Background: 'Explanatory Models' (EMs) are frameworks through which individuals and groups understand diseases, are influenced by cultural and religious perceptions of health and illness, and influence both physicians and patients' behaviors.

Aims: To examine the role of EMs of illness (cancer-related perceptions) in physicians' and laywomen's behaviors (decision to recommend undergoing regular mammography, adhering to mammography) in the context of a traditional-religious society, that is, the Arab society in Israel.

Methods: Two combined samples were drawn: a representative sample of 146 Arab physicians who serve the Arab population and a sample composed of 290 Arab women, aged 50-70 years, representative of the main Arab groups residing in the north and center of Israel (Muslims, Christians) were each randomly sampled (cluster sampling).

Cultural Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening and Medical Mistrust Among Arab American Women.

Breast cancer is a common cancer among women in the US and cultural barriers and medical mistrust have been associated with breast cancer screening (BCS) rates among minority populations. A heterogeneous sample of Arab women (N = 196) were recruited from across the Detroit metropolitan area and administered a questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses revealed an association between Arab Cultural Specific Barriers (ACSB) to BCS and Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale in ambulatory, community-dwelling, elderly people.

Fear of falling (FOF) is common among elderly individuals and can appear independently of a previous fall. FOF can start a vicious cycle by leading to a sedentary lifestyle and further FOF, with negative physical and mental consequences. The Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale is a popular, theoretically based, reliable and valid tool designed to assess FOF in ambulatory, community-dwelling, elderly people.

Culture as a Double-Edged Sword: The Posttraumatic Experience of Indigenous Ethnic Minority Veterans.

The applicability of Western concepts regarding the treatment of trauma in soldiers from indigenous ethnic minority backgrounds has scarcely been researched. This study explored the subjective meaning of living with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among indigenous Bedouin veterans of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who are of Arab ethnicity and Muslim faith. In-depth, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 Bedouin veterans suffering from PTSD and three Bedouin mental health clinicians working with this population.

Factors associated with routine screening for the early detection of breast cancer in cultural-ethnic and faith-based communities.

Objectives: Studies have shown a lower adherence to health behaviors among women in cultural-ethnic minorities and faith-based communities, especially lower screening attendance for the early detection of breast cancer. This study compares factors related to cancer screening adherence in two distinct cultural-ethnic minorities in Israel: Arab women as a cultural-ethnic minority and Jewish ultra-Orthodox women as a cultural-ethnic faith-based minority.

Design: During the year 2014, a total of 398 Jewish ultra-Orthodox women and 401 Arab women between the ages of 40-60, were randomly selected using population-based registries.

Coming of age: health-care challenges of an ageing population in Israel.

Although Israel is still young in years, with relatively high birth rates and older people (individuals aged 65 years or older) constituting only about 11% of its population, the absolute number of older people is growing rapidly. Life expectancy is high, and increasing numbers of people are living to advanced old age (older than 85 years). A wide spectrum of geriatric care is provided within a universal system providing health services to all citizens.

Expression of emotions related to the experience of cancer in younger and older Arab breast cancer survivors.

Objectives: Researchers have suggested that older adults express less negative emotions. Yet, emotional expression patterns in older and younger breast cancer survivors, have barely been examined. This study aimed to explore types and intensity of negative and positive emotional expression related to the breast cancer experience by younger and older Arab breast cancer survivors.

Translation and validation of the Arab version of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument: a cross sectional study.

Background: The Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) provides a comprehensive, reliable, and valid assessment of physical function and disability in community-dwelling adults. There does not appear to be a validated, comprehensive instrument for assessing function and disability in Arabic. The objective of the present study was to translate and culturally adapt the LLFDI to Arabic, and to determine its test-retest reliability and validity.

Prevalence of illicit substance use among Arab adults in Israel: Findings from a national survey.

Introduction And Aims: The aim of this study was to examine illicit psychoactive substance use rates among adult Arabs in Israel.

Design And Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 1200 Arab adults recruited nationwide via cluster sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire was conducted.

Results: Fourteen percent of respondents reporting illegal substance use with increased odds of use among males and those who were secular/not religious.

Tobacco and alcohol use among Arab adults in Israel: findings from a nationwide study.

Objective: This comprehensive study focuses exclusively on adult Arabs in Israel and is aimed at examining tobacco and alcohol use rates and their predictors.

Methods: One thousand and two hundred Arab adults were randomly sampled via cluster sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

Results: Forty-four per cent of respondents reported tobacco use while 39% reported alcohol use.

The doctor is just a messenger: beliefs of ultraorthodox Jewish women in regard to breast cancer and screening.

Screenings for the early detection of breast cancer greatly improve survival odds. Studies of minority groups have shown lower attendance of screenings; however, these studies seldom focused on religious minorities. This study examines perceptions of cancer and cancer screening among healthy ultraorthodox women in order to gain insight about ways to promote screening.

Attachment patterns of Arabs and Jews in Israel--are we really so different?

Background: Attachment orientations reflect internal representations of self, others, and relationships. Studies revealed meaningful cultural differences in attachment orientations, but few included Arab samples. to fill this gap, we compared attachment orientations of Jews and Arabs in Israel using valid measures.

Being within or being between? The cultural context of Arab women's experience of coping with breast cancer in Israel.

Background: Coping with cancer is affected by cultural norms, beliefs, and perceptions. To date, only a few studies have examined how Arab women cope with breast cancer and how the illness affects their lives. We aimed to study how Arab women perceive and ascribe meaning to their illness and its personal, familial, and social implications and to examine their coping strategies within the religious and traditional cultural context.

Death and dying anxiety among bereaved and nonbereaved elderly parents.

This study examines differences in death and dying anxiety between bereaved and nonbereaved elderly Israeli parents, as well as correlates of these factors among bereaved parents. A total of 97 parents (49 bereaved, 48 nonbereaved) completed measures of death and dying anxiety and religiosity. Bereaved parents reported significantly higher dying anxiety scores than nonbereaved parents, but there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in death anxiety.

Traditional-Westernizing continuum of change in screening behaviors: comparison between Arab women in Israel and the West Bank.

Health perceptions are changing, but the pace of change varies across societies, exercising different effects on women's screening behaviors. Our aim is to assess the rate of mammography and clinical breast examination (CBE) attendance in younger and older Arab women in Israel and in the West Bank, and the effect of health beliefs on the screening behaviors. A random sample of 697 Arab women, 300 from Israel and 397 from the West Bank, aged 30-65 years, answered questionnaires on screening behaviors, the Arab culture-specific barriers, fatalism, worry, and health beliefs.

Increasing breast examinations among arab women using a tailored culture-based intervention.

This study aimed to assess outcomes of a culture-specific intervention devised to reduce barriers to breast cancer screening among Arab women in Israel. Women in intervention (n = 42) and control (n = 24) groups answered breast examination performance and Arab culture-specific barriers and health beliefs questionnaires at pre- and postintervention. Women in the study group received tailored telephone intervention between the 2 interviews.

Factors associated with low screening for breast cancer in the Palestinian Authority: relations of availability, environmental barriers, and cancer-related fatalism.

Background: The current study was conducted to assess screening behaviors in relation to cultural and environmental barriers among Palestinian women in the West Bank.

Methods: The participants were 397 women, ages 30 to 65 years, residing in the Palestinian Authority, and a stratified sample method was used (98.3% participation rate).

Druze adolescent dropouts in Israel and their use of psychoactive substances.

The current study examines rates of psychoactive substance use among Druze adolescent dropouts and links between use rates and socio-demographic, interpersonal, cognitive, and personality characteristics. 204 adolescents took part in the study in late 2004. Approximately 21% had consumed tobacco 10 times or more in the last year, 25% reported consuming alcohol in the same timeframe, and nearly 6% used an illegal substance at least once in the last year.

Death and dying anxiety among elderly Arab Muslims in Israel.

Death and dying anxiety were examined among elderly Arab Muslims in Israel. A total of 145 people aged 60 and over were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Nursing home residents reported higher death anxiety than others; women and uneducated participants reported greater levels of fear of death and dying than others.

Eating attitudes and dieting behavior among religious subgroups of Israeli-Arab adolescent females.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the eating attitudes and behaviors, including weight concerns and dieting behavior, among three religious subgroups (Moslems, Druze, and Christians) and three age subgroups (12-13, 14-15, and 16-18 years old) of Israeli-Arab adolescent females.

Methods: The sample consisted of 1141 Israeli-Arab adolescent females, including 926 (81.2%) Moslem, 128 (11.

Emotional reactions of Arab lay persons to a person with Alzheimer's disease.

Aims: To assess emotional reactions of Israeli Arab people to persons with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and assess the associations of perceptions of threat of AD, personal experience with AD and socio-demographic characteristics with emotional reactions to persons with AD.

Method: A total of 170 Israeli Arab adults, aged 40-85, were interviewed in person by the vignette methodology for their emotional reactions to people with AD, an issue not yet studied in this population. Their perceptions of dangerousness of persons with AD to themselves and to others, familiarity with the disease and perceptions of personal threat were also probed.

Substance use among Druze adolescent students in Israel: identifying predictors and patterns of use.

Objective: The current study examines the rates of legal and illegal psychoactive substance use among Druze secondary school students, as well as the correlations between use rates and sociodemographic, interpersonal, cognitive, and personality characteristics. This is the fi rst comprehensive study to focus exclusively on substance use in the Druze population.

Method: Druze secondary school students (n = 519), Grades 7-12, participated in the study in late 2004.

Patterns of psychoactive substance use among Arab secondary school students in Israel.

The current study examines patterns and trends in the use of psychoactive substances among Arab secondary school students throughout Israel. Data were collected in late 2004 using self-report questionnaires. The sample consisted of 2,944 students, Grades 7 through 12.