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Refugee and immigrant health information needs

Refugee and immigrant health information needs The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the HISB of this group. Immigrants and refugees are at a heightened risk for negative health outcomes upon resettlement. However, little scholarship reports on the health information-seeking behaviors and information needs of this population.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports the findings of a study into the health information-seeking behaviors of 85 immigrant and refugee women. Women were asked to fill out a survey in their native language with both multiple choice and open-ended questions that requested information on what health information they required the most, which means they used to get it and paired this with demographic information.FindingsIn their own words, the participants reported information requirements regarding dental care, nutrition, general, reproductive and child health, as well as assistance in navigating the healthcare system. However, they believed that medical professionals are the most reliable sources of information and that they frequently turned to less credible sources such as friends and family or the internet. This may be because of their self-reported barriers of language and cost, as wells difficulty in understanding how to obtain information in the USA. What sources the participants used and what their informational needs were was influenced by their age, education and time living in the USA. Some comparisons are made with a group of local women in a similar study conducted concurrently by the author.Originality/valueThe research presented in this study provides a clearer understanding of the health information requirements and behaviors of refugee and immigrant women. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care Emerald Publishing

Refugee and immigrant health information needs

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References (30)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1747-9894
DOI
10.1108/ijmhsc-07-2019-0065
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the HISB of this group. Immigrants and refugees are at a heightened risk for negative health outcomes upon resettlement. However, little scholarship reports on the health information-seeking behaviors and information needs of this population.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports the findings of a study into the health information-seeking behaviors of 85 immigrant and refugee women. Women were asked to fill out a survey in their native language with both multiple choice and open-ended questions that requested information on what health information they required the most, which means they used to get it and paired this with demographic information.FindingsIn their own words, the participants reported information requirements regarding dental care, nutrition, general, reproductive and child health, as well as assistance in navigating the healthcare system. However, they believed that medical professionals are the most reliable sources of information and that they frequently turned to less credible sources such as friends and family or the internet. This may be because of their self-reported barriers of language and cost, as wells difficulty in understanding how to obtain information in the USA. What sources the participants used and what their informational needs were was influenced by their age, education and time living in the USA. Some comparisons are made with a group of local women in a similar study conducted concurrently by the author.Originality/valueThe research presented in this study provides a clearer understanding of the health information requirements and behaviors of refugee and immigrant women.

Journal

International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jun 8, 2020

Keywords: Refugee women; Immigrants; Health information-seeking behavior; Health literacy; Disadvantaged populations

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