Cervical Cancer Attitudes and Knowledge in Somali Refugees in Nebraska

The state of Nebraska has a growing number of refugees with diverse backgrounds and health needs. To address these needs, a collaborative project was developed by the local performance site of the Midwestern Public Health Training Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Women’s and Men’s Health. The purpose of this 2-year project is to improve the quality of services offered by the Office of Women’s and Men’s Health by assessing risk, knowledge, and preventive screening practices in refugee populations and provide recommendations to increase cancer-screening rates. The focus of the project was on cervical cancer prevention of Somali women refugees in Nebraska. In Year 1 of the project (2015-2016), a Refugee Screening Collaborative was created to provide input and recommendations throughout the project; focus groups and a literature review were completed to explore the knowl...