Abstract A006: Barriers to breast cancer screening among adult female immigrants in Indianapolis: Insights from the Indy Muslim MENA and SSA Immigrant survey

Abstract Background: The population of foreign-born persons in the U.S has increased nearly two-fold over the past decade. Muslim migrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa share some common experiences and cultures. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer related deaths in the U.S despite being preventable and treatable. Therefore, increasing the uptake of breast cancer screening in this population may be critical in reducing cancer disparities. Methods: We conducted a survey among adult Muslim females in Indianapolis as part of a larger study. Questions included perception of their overall breast cancer risk and barriers to screening services. We also explored their willingness to have screening tests if they were available and free of cost. Results: We had two hundred and fifty-one participants who were between 40 and 61 years of age. Two hundred and five (81.7%) reported awareness of the existence of breast cancer screening tests. One hundred and fifty participants (59.8%) had taken a mammogram test in the past two years. Two hundred and seven women (82.4%) indicated that they would have taken a mammogram if they had easier access to services. Increased willingness to take a mammogram test was associated with younger age (OR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.13-1.91), family history of breast cancer (OR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.17-1.77) and higher education (OR= 1.36, 95% CI 1.15-1.67). Conclusion: There is a high level of willingness to have a mammogram, but the coverage is lower than the US average. There may be a need to explore culture-specific methods to encourage mammography in this population. Citation Format: Olanrewaju Onigbogi, Kebba Kah, Ali Ajrouch, Kolawole Okuyemi. Barriers to breast cancer screening among adult female immigrants in Indianapolis: Insights from the Indy Muslim MENA and SSA Immigrant survey abstract. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A006.