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Aims and objectives To explore West African migrant women's knowledge, attitude and usage of cancer screening in Australia. Background Despite strong evidence that cancer screening saves lives through early detection and treatment, there is lack of empirical studies on West African migrant women's knowledge, attitude and usage of cancer screening in Australia. Design Qualitative naturalistic inquiry. Methods Twenty-one West African migrant women who consented to participate in the study were recruited through a snowballing technique. These women were engaged in face-to-face audiotaped in-depth interviews which lasted for about 90 minutes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results The following three themes emerged from the data: knowledge of cancer screening, attitude towards cancer screening and usage of cancer screening Irrespective of the women's place of birth in Africa, twenty of the participants had no knowledge of cancer screening prior to migration, and most had a negative attitude towards screening. Women who had given birth after migrating to Australia were more likely to have had cervical cancer screening. Women who had passed their child-bearing years or had not presented to healthcare facilities for medical issues were more likely to be unaware of cancer screening. Conclusions Improved health promotion strategies that provide accessible information and education to West African migrant women regarding cancer screening are required to enhance the uptake of such screening in this migrant group. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses who encounter West African migrant women in their day-to-day practice have the opportunity to provide this group with education related to the importance of cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. This study reports the intimate partner violence experiences of West African women living in Australia. Background. Increasing diversity in Australia's population presents new and complex challenges to nurses and other health care providers, particularly in relation to the health needs of immigrant women. Design. A qualitative naturalistic inquiry design was used. Method. A convenience sample of 21 West African immigrant women in Australia who were 18 years and over were engaged in face-to-face, in-depth interviews and asked to talk about their health experiences. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Intimate partner violence was revealed as a major theme in this analysis. Results. Data revealed that eighteen of the women had experienced intimate partner violence. The women's accounts of intimate partner violence were dominated by two subthemes 'suffering in silence' and 'reluctance to seek help.' Conclusion. Findings revealed intimate partner violence as a significant issue for the newly migrated African women who participated in this study. Relevance to clinical practice. Intimate partner violence is associated with significant adverse physical and psychological health outcomes. It is important that nurses understand the cultural barriers that can impede immigrant women's ability to seek out and receive appropriate support and intervention and provide opportunities for women to disclose experiences of intimate partner violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Settling in a new country exposes immigrants to various health risk factors, and the existing literature alludes to immigrant women being more vulnerable than men. This article highlights some of the difficulties faced by West African women while settling into life in Australia. A qualitative, Design: beginning again and experiencing loneliness and isolation. Participants encountered difficulties in developing social networks and obtaining employment, and as a result, they felt lonely and isolated. Therefore, nurses and health care professionals need to incorporate screening for precursors of emotional and social well-being issues when caring for this population.