Cancer awareness information sheets for Muslim communities
Tuesday 16 December 2014
We have developed translated cancer awareness leaflets/information sheets for the Muslim communities after mapping their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices to cancer and its treatment services (based on focus-group discussions conducted in Manchester and Sheffield in Nov/Dec 2013 and Jan/Feb 2014).
We have also incorporated feedback and suggestions from oncologists, radiologists and other health professionals in the development of information leaflets.
These materials are in three languages: Arabic, Urdu and Somali.
This was one of the outputs of study funded by HIEF HEFCE entitled, 'Assessing, Developing and Piloting Information Support Tools to Increase Knowledge, Satisfaction and Awareness of Cancer, Screening and Treatment among the Muslim Communities'.
The aim of the study was to identify knowledge gaps in cancer awareness, its risks and treatment in Muslim ethnic minority community originating from three broad ethnic and linguistic regions of the world: a. South Asians-Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian Gujarati, Afghanis, b. Arabic-speaking communities, and c. the Somali community.
The objectives were: a) to develop effective health promotion materials on cancer after mapping their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices to cancer and its treatment services (based on the focus-group discussions conducted in Manchester as well as from existing evidence / specific literature on the theme for Muslim communities); (b) to pilot health promotion educational materials for cancer screening/treatment/support within Muslim communities.
The information leaflets were developed by a team of researchers (Dr Anil Gumber, Mubarak Ismail and Prof Karen Collins) from Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with Muslim community organisations in Sheffield and Manchester.
Author: Anil Gumber, Mubarak Ismail, Karen Collins