Early breast cancer detection practices, health beliefs, and cancer worries in Jewish and Arab women

Background. Breast examinations (BE) for the early detection of breast cancer are the principal way of increasing survival rates in breast cancer. To date, BE practices among Jewish as compared with Arab women, and the factors associated with them have not been examined in Israel. Objectives. (1) To study differences in BE practices among Arab and Jewish women. (2) To characterize demographic, cognitive, and emotional factors related to Arab and Jewish women's BE practices. Method. In 2004, 489 Jewish women and 440 Arab women, ages 20-60, and randomly sampled from the female population of Israel, answered a telephone questionnaire related to BE practices, health beliefs, and breast cancer worries.