Abstract
Background:
Mammography screening is effective in reducing breast cancer mortality among women. Research has shown that level of religiosity is associated with non-performance of mammography. This study aimed to investigate the association between religiosity level and non-performance of mammograms among Arab (Muslim, Christian and Druze) and Jewish women in Israel.
Methods:
We obtained cross-sectional data from the 2010 Social Survey of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. We used separate logistic regression models to compare mammography non-performance among 231 (weighted N = 163714) Arab and 1532 (weighted N = 982892) Jewish women (ages 40-74 years). Non-performance was measured by direct questioning.
Results:
The prevalence of non-performance of mammography was higher among Arabs compared to Jewish women (55.1% vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis of the representative sample, significant associations were found between religiosity and non-performance of mammography after adjusting for control variables (age, marital status, number of children, income, education, and social support). Amoong Jewish women, ‘very religious' and ‘somewhat religious ‘ level of religiosity was associated with higher non-mammography performance compared with ‘non-religious' (non-religious) level of religiosity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] and 95%confidence internals (CI)= 3.13, (3.06,3.20), 2.43 (2.38,2.48) respectively).
This association was in the opposite direction among Arab women; ‘very religious' and ‘somewhat religious ‘ level of religiosity was associated with lower non-mammography performance compared with ‘non-religious' women (AOR (95% CI) =0.49 (0.45,0.53), 0.59 (0.57,0.61) respectively).
Conclusions:
Higher religiously level is associated with increased non-performance of mammography among Jewish women and with decreased non-performance among Arab women. Specific health promotion interventions are needed. Future research should look to explain the disparity.
Mammography screening is effective in reducing breast cancer mortality among women. Research has shown that level of religiosity is associated with non-performance of mammography. This study aimed to investigate the association between religiosity level and non-performance of mammograms among Arab (Muslim, Christian and Druze) and Jewish women in Israel.
Methods:
We obtained cross-sectional data from the 2010 Social Survey of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. We used separate logistic regression models to compare mammography non-performance among 231 (weighted N = 163714) Arab and 1532 (weighted N = 982892) Jewish women (ages 40-74 years). Non-performance was measured by direct questioning.
Results:
The prevalence of non-performance of mammography was higher among Arabs compared to Jewish women (55.1% vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis of the representative sample, significant associations were found between religiosity and non-performance of mammography after adjusting for control variables (age, marital status, number of children, income, education, and social support). Amoong Jewish women, ‘very religious' and ‘somewhat religious ‘ level of religiosity was associated with higher non-mammography performance compared with ‘non-religious' (non-religious) level of religiosity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] and 95%confidence internals (CI)= 3.13, (3.06,3.20), 2.43 (2.38,2.48) respectively).
This association was in the opposite direction among Arab women; ‘very religious' and ‘somewhat religious ‘ level of religiosity was associated with lower non-mammography performance compared with ‘non-religious' women (AOR (95% CI) =0.49 (0.45,0.53), 0.59 (0.57,0.61) respectively).
Conclusions:
Higher religiously level is associated with increased non-performance of mammography among Jewish women and with decreased non-performance among Arab women. Specific health promotion interventions are needed. Future research should look to explain the disparity.
| Original language | English GB |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 154-154 |
| Journal | European Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 21 Nov 2018 |
