Increasing Screening Mammography Among Immigrant and Minority Women in Canada: A Review of Past Interventions

Screening mammograms are important to detect breast cancer at earlier and more treatable stages. Immigrant and minority women
report low participation rates due to barriers related to cultural beliefs and norms, privacy/modesty, and language. This
review examines whether screening mammogram interventions in Canada and other countries with comparable health-care systems
have addressed the needs of these women. Our systematic literature search identified studies that focused on increasing screening
mammogram participation among immigrant and/or minority women. We used the Health Belief Model and the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model
to guide our critical synthesis of the reviewed interventions and the recommendations for the future. Eight studies met the
search criteria. Overall, interventions showed some increase in mammogram participation rates. The barriers targeted were
relatively similar across studies and there was a focus on increasing cues to screening. This review illustrates that it is
essential to develop and implement programs to overcome the unique barriers to screening mammography if we are to increase
participation among immigrants and minority women. We suggest other potentially effective health promotion strategies as a
starting point for discussion and future research.