Introduction: The low uptake of preventive services in disadvantaged communities is a continuing challenge to public health. Women refugee communities are particularly vulnerable populations, and disparities in both preventive care and breast cancer screening have been documented sparsely. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore Bosnian, Iraqi, and Somali women refugees' beliefs about preventive care and breast cancer screening to inform future community interventions and best practices. Methods: In an urban community health center, 57 interviews with Bosnian, Somali, and Iraqi women refugees were conducted by native language speakers. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed according to best practices for thematic and content analysis. The responses of three groups were compared. Findings: Similarities across participants included barriers to care such as fear of pain and diagnosis, modesty, and work and childcare commitments; facilitative factors such as outreach efforts, appointment reminders, and personal contact from health providers; perceptions of how the American medical infrastructure compared with inadequacies in their home countries; and positive attitude toward U.S. health professionals. Differences that emerged among groups were: varying degrees of medical exposure to doctors in home countries, the impact of war on health systems; and understanding preventive breast care. Conclusion: Taken together, duration of time in United States and prior exposure to Western medicine account for differences in refugee women's knowledge of preventive care. Understanding population-specific health beliefs, health information, and behavior are crucial for designing tailored prevention programs for refugee women. © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.

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urban population descriptive research urban area doctor patient relation Somali (people) breast cancer refugee Iraqi Islam Massachusetts Preventive Health Services human epidemiology Refugees middle aged health belief war Bosnian (citizen) controlled study Iraq comparative study Bosnia and Herzegovina cancer screening ethnology religion qualitative research interview Young Adult Humans Breast Neoplasms psychology Mammography Interviews as Topic female preventive health service cultural factor Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice medical profession Article major clinical study adult Somalia utilization preventive medicine Cultural Characteristics health care system health center Religion and Medicine Fear Healthcare Disparities attitude to health health care disparity child care