Use of Cancer Screening by African Immigrants in NC.

Advancement in screening has revolutionized cancer treatment in the USA and has been linked to successful detection and prevention of diverse forms of cancer. However, stud­ies have focused on its use by majority groups, ignoring third-world immigrants, who typi­cally arrive with little exposure to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity: Education, Research & Policy Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 926 - 941
Main Author: OPOKU-DAPAAH, EDWARD
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University Spring2013
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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Summary:Advancement in screening has revolutionized cancer treatment in the USA and has been linked to successful detection and prevention of diverse forms of cancer. However, stud­ies have focused on its use by majority groups, ignoring third-world immigrants, who typi­cally arrive with little exposure to advanced medicine and scant knowledge about cancer screening. This study examined the use of cancer screening by African immigrants in North Carolina. It found that most respondents had used cancer screening; moreover, most have complied with screening protocols established by the American Cancer Society. However, some respondents appear to have been discouraged from screening by pre-arriv­al, African values about dangerous diseases, misperceptions, and denial of entitlements.