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). The participants completed questionnaires on breast examination behaviors and knowledge, on perceived cancer fatalism and health beliefs, and on environmental barriers scales.

Results: Greater than 70% of the women had never undergone mammography or clinical breast examination (CBE), whereas 62% performed self breast examination (SBE). Women were more likely to undergo mammography if they were less religious (odds ratio [OR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.47-0.81) and if they expressed lower personal barriers (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.29-0.76) and lower fatalism (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.28-0.63). A higher likelihood for CBE was related to being Christian (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.49-5.73) and being less religious (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.78), to perceived higher effectiveness of CBE (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.20-1.79), and to perceived lower cancer fatalism (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.28-0.60). Women were more likely to perform SBE if they were more educated, resided in cities, were Christian, were less religious, had a first-degree relative with breast cancer, perceived higher effectiveness and benefits of SBE, and perceived lower barriers and fatalism.

Conclusions: Participants reported a combination of personal, cultural, and environmental barriers, which should be addressed by educational programs and followed by the allocation of resources for early detection and treatment of breast cancer.