A qualitative study to determine Kuwaiti Women's knowledge of breast cancer and barriers deterring attendance at mammography screening

Although a Mammography Screening Service (MSS) has been established in Kuwait since 2014, the attendance rate for eligible women is only 4.2% in comparison to 72.1% attendance in the United Kingdom (UK) mammography screening service. The aim of this study was to determine Kuwaiti women's knowledge of breast cancer (BC), their attitudes toward BCS and the reasons for not attending Mammography Screening (MS). A pragmatic qualitative methodology was used which included the use of two focus groups conducted at two women only social organisations in Kuwait with a total of 23 women. One focus group was conducted at a social and cultural organisation; the second focus group took place at a social organisation whose primary role is the improvement of literacy though the use of religious scripture. Thematic analysis was applied to the recorded verbal transcripts from each focus group. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes, accompanied by a series of subthemes (1) knowledge and awareness of BC health, (2) knowledge of MS (3) personal factors, (4) medical provision and social environment. Findings suggest that participant's knowledge of BC and the decision to attend MS is influenced by a series of factors both personal and external. An increase in the awareness of BC, MS and the process of accessing MSS will enhance the uptake of MS among Kuwaiti women. Furthermore, doctors and health care providers will need to play a significant role in encouraging women to self-refer. •Focus group participants identified barriers to attending screening mammography.•Barriers included individual psychological, socio-cultural and religious factors.•Lack of Knowledge of breast cancer may also act as a negative barrier.•Physician recommendation to attend screening acts as a motivation to attend.•Increased awareness of screening and how to access services may enhance uptake.