Table 1.
Addressing barriers to screening with faith-based messages developed with Muslim women in the codesign phase
| Key barriers to cancer screening | Counteracting faith-based message |
| I need to have a female doctor or nurse. | If it’s a necessity and an important test, I can have a male doctor or nurse. |
| I pray to God for health before I turn to medical care as a last resort. | God will ask me after death about five main things; one of them is ‘How did I care for my body?’ |
| I’m afraid cancer screening might be uncomfortable/painful. | The pain incurred on the path to doing a good deed, like life-saving screening to care for my body, is rewarded by God, and saving one life is saving all of humanity. |
| I’m afraid of what the screening test might find and of dealing with the aftermath. | Reading the Quran and remembering that God is with me will help me cope with my fear of the test result. |
| Receiving the letter with my screening result is too stressful. | It’s part of my duty to look after my body to find out everything I can about how to keep it healthy and catch cancer early when it is treatable. |
| Certain actions can prevent me from getting cancer, like eating dates and black seeds. | Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, and it is up to mankind to go and find it. |
| I don’t think I will get cancer and I don’t need to do screening. | Precaution is really important in Islam: when I am aware of danger, it shows my wisdom. |
| Cancer might be a way to heaven if I have suffered such a big test in this world. | It is Allah’s will that I am sick or cured, but it is up to me to care for my health both physically (through screening) and spiritually. |
| Cancer screening is embarrassing/challenges modesty. | My duty to look after my health comes first, so I can be fit and strong to practise my faith. |
| Certain cancers like colorectal, breast and cervical cannot be mentioned in public. | I was given this body to look after it. Therefore, such an illness is a test from God on how well I can look after my body for Him. |
| Collecting your ablutions for colorectal screening is disgusting and creates impurity. | Keeping myself healthy justifies putting up with disgust. |
| I have to look after my family’s needs before my health. | Islam advises to first take care of my health needs and then others’ needs. |