Immigration Health

Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening among Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Women in the United States: A Qualitative Report

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Ann O. Amuta-Jimenez, PhD
Itunu O. Sokale, MD, DrPH
Lorraine R. Reitzel, PhD

Objective:

Cervical cancer screening can prevent women across all age groups from developing cervical cancer (CC). However, Sub-Saharan African immigrant women (SAIW) sparsely engage in routine CC screening. Thus, developing prevention strategies to improve SAIW’s adherence to recommended CC screening guidelines is critical. To ensure that such strategies are successful, they must meet the needs of the target population. By conducting qualitative interviews with SAIW (N = 15), we aimed to get a deeper understanding of barriers to CC screening receipt.

Methods:

We asked SAIW about barriers to CC screening and possible ideas to facilitate their future screening behavior.

Results:

Our findings revealed that SAIW are especially affected by several major barriers: lack of awareness of CC guidelines, fear/fatalism, lack of resources (eg, a lack of time due to job and family commitment), other resource-related barriers (eg, unreliable mode of transport, and no health insurance), modesty, and overt bias. Participants indicated a preference for female healthcare providers for CC screening and suggested spousal involvement in CC intervention development to foster support.

Conclusions:

The identification of multi-level barriers indicates that multiple strategies are needed to improve the uptake of CC screening among SAIW.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 10, Number 5, October 2023, pp. 1-8(8)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.5.1

2024-01-12T10:19:49-07:00December 10th, 2023|Cancer, Immigration Health, Women's Health|

School Art Murals Reflecting the Immigrant Experience: A Mixed-methods Social-ecological Approach to Assess Perceptions of Staff and Students

A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Ross Shegog
Michelle Zhao
Jamila Raja
Evan Shegog
Elizabeth Leass
Aisha Siddiqui

Objective:

The objective of this study was to explore the perceived social-ecological impacts of school-based art mural installations that represented the immigrant and refugee experience in a major urban center in southeast Texas.

Methods:

We adapted surveys (ixia and National School Climate Center) to assess 4 theory-based individual- and community-level constructs with school personnel (N = 9) and students (N = 23) in 3 ethnically diverse inner-city schools in Houston, Texas. Focus groups and interviews captured their perceptions and experiences with the art murals in their own voice.

Results:

Most participants (> 90%) agreed that the art murals were socially valuable to the school community, neighborhood, and interpersonal relationships, in addition to providing increased economic value (p < .01). Participants responded that there were better relationships between the school communities and their neighborhoods and increased school pride. Student reflections and behaviors were commensurate with the murals’ inspirational messages.

Conclusions:

Findings contribute to understanding the benefits of public art in predominantly minority school settings that reflect the immigrant and refugee experience and aspirations for improving health within a community.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.2.1

2023-06-09T15:04:12-06:00May 22nd, 2023|Community Health, Immigration Health|

Laws and Policies Related to the Health of US Immigrants: A Policy Scan

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, MPH, FAAHB Twitter
Lilli Mann-Jackson, MPH
Eunyoung Y. Song, PhD
Mark Wolfson, PhD
Alexandra Filindra, PhD
Mark A. Hall, JD

Objective:

We conducted a policy scan of state and local laws and policies across the United States (US) related to social determinants of health among immigrants.

Methods:

We collected all state and municipal laws and policies in 10 domains that had the potential to affect immigrant health from all 50 US states and the 30 most populous US metropolitan statistical areas. We coded these laws and policies and created an index of restrictiveness and supportiveness of immigrants.

Results:

We identified 539 state and 322 municipal laws and policies. The most common restrictive state laws and policies were in the domains of identification requirements and driver’s license access. The most common supportive state laws and policies were in the domains of health services and higher education access. The most common restrictive municipal laws and policies were in the domains of identification requirements and immigration policy enforcement. The most common supportive municipal laws and policies were in the domains of immigration policy enforcement and health services access.

Conclusion:

Most states had index scores reflecting policy environments that were primarily restrictive of immigrants, indicating potential negative impacts on social determinants of health. Further research examining the impact of these on health behaviors is warranted.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 7, Number 4, July 2020, pp. 314-324(11)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.7.4.4

2021-04-29T22:20:58-06:00August 21st, 2020|Immigration Health, Law|
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