Religiosity Level and Mammography Performance Among Arab and Jewish Women in Israel

J Relig Health. 2021 Jun;60(3):1877-1894. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01097-2. Epub 2020 Oct 29.

Abstract

This study compared mammography performance by religiosity level among Arab (weighted n = 103,347) and Jewish women (weighted n = 757,956) in Israel aged 50-74, using data from the 2017 National Social Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics. In the Survey, women were asked regarding mammogram performance in the 2 years prior. Mammography performance was 78.2% among Jewish women and 64.8% among Arab women. Among Jewish women, self-identifying as "Very religious" and "Somewhat religious" was associated with lower mammography performance compared to being 'non-religious.' The association was in the opposite direction among Arab women. When tailoring interventions to increase mammography performance among ethnically diverse groups, planners should consider women's religiosity.

Keywords: Jewish and Arab women in Israel; Mammogram; Religiosity level; Screening.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Arabs*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Israel
  • Jews*
  • Judaism
  • Mammography
  • Middle Aged