Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Hispanic Immigrant Parents Literacy Needs In Navigating Life With Children In The United States, Michelle Lowry

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The responsibility of raising a child is demanding on all parents, but immigrant parents with limited literacy skills in English may find parenting even more demanding than native born parents. Hispanic immigrant parents are rarely consulted about their literacy needs. Furthermore, they are often overlooked as experts on their own needs. Using two of the most widely accepted models of literacy, The Simple View of Writing and The Simple View of Reading, this study explored Hispanic immigrant parents' literacy needs in the United States. The current study was conducted on N=30 Hispanic Immigrant parents, ages early 30s to mid 70s. …

A Scoping Review Of Drama-Based Interventions With Migrant Populations For Health Outcomes, Cassandra Doria

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This scoping review investigates the breadth and nature of literature that currently exists on the topic of utilizing drama-based interventions with migrant populations for therapeutic goals. This author searched for empirical studies on the topic and charted data to understand the quality, number, and type of studies that have been done, and risk factors for epistemic injustice or misrepresentation of marginalized participants. A brief overview of methods, results, and discussions of articles revealed the most prevalent outcomes, limitations, and forms of data collection. Social connection and belonging, education, communication skills, empathy, identity reconstruction, meaning making, and adaptive adjustment to the …

Moving At The Speed Of Trust, Sun Ho Lee

Masters Theses

Moving at the Speed of Trust is a workbook of strategies — practices, definitions, and techniques — to nurture community-building in support of inbetweeners who live between power structures and cultures and are often left out. Inbetweeners are those individuals whose lives are in transition through recent immigration or forced translocation from Asia to America.

These strategies revolve around threads of trust: kin, giggles, vulnerability, and shared experience. With these threads, we can question power. We can preserve stories, expand the ways we connect, shift perspectives on what is “standard,” and cultivate a community rooted in understanding. To understand each …

Perspectives Of Middle Eastern Immigrant Parents Regarding Accessing Healthcare Services For Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic In London, Ontario, Sarvenaz Mehrabi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrants have been disproportionally affected and faced difficulties in accessing healthcare services. While it has been reported that the rate of pediatric healthcare utilization decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons behind this decline are unclear. It has been suggested that immigrant children might be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions regarding accessing healthcare services. This study aims to understand the Middle Eastern immigrant parents’ perspectives regarding their access to healthcare services for their children in the London, Ontario, area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with an interpretive description methodology …

Reducing Immigration-Related Stress In An Immigrant Population, Stephanie Avdagic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Immigrants are a growing population in the United States and face stressors specific to immigration. Stress is associated with increased mental and physical health issues, so increased stress puts this population at risk for many health concerns. A review of literature showed that implementing community resource classes for immigrants may help decrease immigration-related stress. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to assess if implementation of community resource classes at a local day center for immigrants could help decrease immigration-related stress. The classes addressed issues such as limited English proficiency and lack of legal immigration status. The Stress of Immigration …

Using A Social Support Group To Educate And Empower Immigrant Latina Women, Diana N. Rendon

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to promote mental health education and access to vulnerable South Florida Latina Women. The original intent was to establish a program providing families with mental health education, including information about common mental illnesses, signs and symptoms, community resources, and the impacts on occupations. This capstone experience was conducted with the Magnolias Women's Support Group at Caridad Center, located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The focus areas of this capstone were advocacy, policy and program development, and administration. Furthermore, this capstone project was intended to promote health literacy for underserved populations, especially immigrant women.

Immigrant And U.S. Born Early Head Start Families: Exploring The Relationship Between Parenting Stress, Attachment Behaviors, Primary Caregiver Depressive Symptoms, And Parent-Child Attachment In A Nationally-Representative Sample, Shaelise Marie Tor

Dissertations - ALL

The current study sought to explore the relationship between parenting stress, attachment behaviors, primary caregiver depressive symptoms, and parent-child attachment in a nationally-representative Early Head Start sample of 2349 families. Additionally, the study explored whether there were differences between immigrant families and U.S. born families in terms of the main study variables. The study used a nationally representative secondary dataset, Baby FACES 2018 (Vogel et al., 2018). Data analysis was completed with PROCESS v. 3.3 (Hayes, 2018) in IBM SPSS v.26 (IBM, 2019). A series of mediation and moderated mediation models were tested aligning with each of the hypotheses. The …

Longitudinal Trauma Treatment Outcomes In An Immigrant And Refugee Sample, Shuen-En Ho

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Refugee and immigrant populations are at an increased risk of having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and exhibit a significant amount of variance in trauma treatment outcomes that may be impacted by sociocultural factors. This study examines the impact of demographic variables on treatment outcome and trajectory of PTSD symptoms in a clinic setting with trauma-focused treatments in refugee/immigrant and general populations. Data was collected from the electronic medical record at the Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress. A total of 817 participants completed intake, 58 of which self-identified as immigrant/refugee. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences …

Culturally Appropriate Health Education: Translation Of A Parturient Pain Relief Options Pamphlet Into French And Spanish, Francis Minor, Austin Cook

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The rise of immigration worldwide introduces a diverse, multicultural population of patients seeking healthcare in the United States. Barriers to communication, both spoken language and culturally associated communication norms, limit immigrant women’s ability to seek, gain access, and follow through with perinatal care. In order to provide safe, effective, and culturally sensitive care, recognition of language and cultural differences of all individuals must be considered when providing patients with educational materials (Perera et al., 2012; Plumbaum et al., 2014). The aim of this project was to translate an existing pain relief options pamphlet into French and Spanish in order to …

Correlates Of Positive Mental Health Among Migrants In Canada, Branka Vujcic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Introduction: Positive mental health is of increasing interest as a public health measure, and is understudied among migrants.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to examine positive mental health and associated factors among migrants in Canada.

Methods: We used the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2011-2012 cycles. A total of 28,051 respondents identified as migrants, which accounted for 23.2% of the entire sample. Using multivariable regression models, positive mental health among migrants was compared to non-migrants, and the effects of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors were examined.

Results: The present study found that time spent in Canada since migration …

Providing Hispanic Immigrant And Migrant Health Care In America: Could Nps Be The Answer?, Hamabwe Kabwe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In recent years, the United States (U.S.) has seen an influx of Hispanic/Latino migrants/ immigrants fleeing their homes in South America, seeking opportunities for a better life in the U.S. Immigrants and their families often present to the U.S. with unique, unmet health care needs that ultimately impact the U.S. healthcare system and migrant health outcomes. Migration is a significant burden for the U.S. health care delivery system today and further magnifies known problems including inability to provide care to all because of lack of insurance for all, racial disparities in care outcomes, and unequal distribution of providers. There is …

The Risks For Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating In Refugee & Immigrant Experiences And The Imperative Of Culturally Alert Screening, Chantal A. Bushelle

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Eating Disorders (ED)/Disordered Eating (DE) largely remain outside of global mental health agendas. There are limited data on the epidemiology EDs/DE in refugee and immigrant populations, and there is a paucity of research on refugee and immigrant experiences of EDs/DE. Study of acculturation issues in refugee and immigrant populations have historically missed investigating what role and impact experiences of stress and trauma (e.g., historical, chronic) along with cultural change and transition may have on their food attitudes and eating behaviors. While there has been some study of eating habits within refugee and immigrant populations, the focus is typically on food …

Life Satisfaction And Healthcare Utilization Among Immigrants To The United States, Merritt Christian Rachel Harrelson

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research suggests a relationship between life satisfaction and healthcare utilization or HCU (Habibov & Afandi, 2016; Kim, Park, Sun, Smith, & Peterson, 2014). However, no study was found that examined this relationship among elderly American immigrants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether life satisfaction is linked to HCU for this population. The researcher of the current study applied binary logistic regression to data taken from the Health and Retirement Survey to determine whether changes in life satisfaction could be linked to variance in HCU across seven domains, including hospitalization, overnight nursing home stays, doctors visits, dentist …

Body Weight Self-Perceptions And Experiences Of Nigerian Women Immigrants, Fatimah Binta Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low-income immigrants in the United States experience declining health with increasing length of stay in the country. Their declining health over time has been associated with increased smoking, obesity prevalence, and higher risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. How immigrants perceive their body weight and size, influenced by social interaction, culture, gender, and acculturation is also significant to healthy weight maintenance. Not knowing one's healthy weight could result in body weight misperception and resistance to attaining a healthy weight. The aim of this qualitative study, based on the social constructivist framework, was to understand Nigerian women immigrants' (NWI's) body …

Second Language Acquisition And Acculturation Differences Between Immigrants And Refugees, Ali Jasemi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The main difference between refugees and immigrants lies in the reason for their migration. Economic immigrants migrate to other countries voluntarily, while refugees are forced to leave their countries due to fear of death or persecution (UNHCR, 2018). Such fears may lead to psychological trauma among refugees. Research has shown that the presence of trauma can negatively impact language learning (Iversen, Sveaass, & Morken, 2014), which may have important implications for both second language (L2) acquisition and acculturation, particularly in refugees. In addition, strong linguistic abilities in a first language (L1) may be beneficial to acquire other languages (Cook, 2003). …

Video-Based Diabetes Education For A Culturally Diverse Population, Heather Harris

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Immigrants and refugees represent an underserved population in need of quality, accessible, and culturally appropriate healthcare and education. Diabetes is a chronic condition frequently seen in this population. The author utilized the Wagner Chronic Care Model (CCM) as a theoretical framework for planning diabetes education delivery in this diverse population. Studies report significant health disparities in diabetes care and subsequent poor diabetes quality indicators in refugees and immigrants. Research has found that culturally sensitive diabetes education can improve diabetes outcomes in ethnically diverse populations. The author implemented a translational project to develop and evaluate a video-based diabetes health education intervention …

The Health Of Migrant Farmworkers In The Pacific Northwest: Access, Quality, And Health Disparities, Marleny Silva

Global Honors Theses

The health and well-being of migrant farmworkers have been neglected in the U.S. despite the prevalent reliance on undocumented foreign labor to fill the needs of the agricultural industry. In 1942, the U.S. signed a bilateral agreement with Mexico which allowed the recruitment of Mexican workers for temporary work in U.S. fields until the end of the program in 1964. This program contributed to the increase of Mexican migration even after its termination and reaffirmed our nation’s dependence on migrant farm workers, both documented and undocumented. Due to their undocumented status, undocumented migrant farmworkers experience neglect, dehumanization, and criminalization that …

Exploring Direct And Indirect Effects Of English Proficiency On Access, Utilization, And Health Status Among Californian Adults With Limited English Proficiency (Lep), Renee E. Pierre-Louis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Study Purpose: Findings from previous studies suggest that, in a health care delivery context, individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) are adversely impacted by lack of patient-provider language concordance. Yet, the concept of LEP has been mostly studied in the context of cultural competence and language has been generally considered a demographic or cultural characteristic. There is a growing body of research concerning LEP and health status; however, it is limited. This study sought to evaluate the effects of LEP on access, utilization, and self-rated health status (SRHS) among LEP respondents to a large health interview survey …

Understanding Haitian Women’S Health Care In Immokalee, Florida, Usa, Michele Leigh Flippo Bolduc

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This social science research project takes a critical approach to understanding the health of a population by using the health care system as an entry point through which we can see how large-scale social processes produce a particular health care landscape in the rural, im/migrant farmworker community of Immokalee, Florida, USA. Using a multi-scalar analysis of health care, I investigate how anti-immigrant legislation and neoliberal economics influence the experience of health care for health care providers and Haitian im/migrant women navigating these processes. First, I argue that anti-immigrant and pro-market discourses have been successful in limiting the accessibility to health …

Exploring What It Is Like To Be An Undocumented Alien In Seek Of Healthcare, Eliany C. Torrez Pon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Currently, there are about 11.8 million undocumented aliens in the United States who are not eligible for public insurance or any type of private coverage obtained through the American Health Care Act of 2017. This creates barriers to healthcare for this large population and has negative implications for the healthcare system. Despite the availability of clinics and low-cost healthcare, this group tends to underuse resources or seek healthcare for emergencies only which leads to increased cost totaling approximately $1.1 billion a year. The goal of this qualitative study is to better understand what it is like to be an undocumented …

(Not) Everything Is Good And Easy: Language-Related Healthcare Experiences Of Two Groups Of Low-Income Latina Mothers, Aria Anna Walsh-Felz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This cross-sectional, comparative, qualitative study explored language-related issues experienced by low-income Spanish-speaking mothers navigating pediatric care for their children in Hillsborough County, Florida. Hospitals, pediatric clinics, specialists, and dental care have differing degrees of linguistic accessibility and accommodations for limited English proficient families. Two groups of mothers were interviewed: bilingual (n=9) and Spanish-speaking limited-English proficient (SSLEP) mothers (n=21). These groups perceived the effect of language on navigating pediatric healthcare differently, creating tension in perceptions and experience between them. Such tensions included SSLEP mothers expressing satisfaction with pediatric care simultaneously with shortcomings in communication. SSLEP mothers said that everything was easy, …

A Critical Review Of Experiences Of Mentally Ill African Immigrants Living In The U.S, Josephine Moraa Masita

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Historically, the U.S. has been known to lead the world in refugee resettlement. To date, the U.S. remains the top refugee resettlement country. Refugees are mostly people who have been forced to flee their home countries due to war, persecution, and violence. Because of their immigration status, unique backgrounds, religion, culture, values, perceptions, language barrier, perceived discrimination and stigmatizations, mentally ill immigrants especially those from African countries have posed a challenge to healthcare providers in the U.S. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to review and discuss experiences of mentally ill African immigrants living in the United States. …

Effect Of Using Culturally Sensitive Education In Increasing Mammogram Use And Breast Cancer Awareness: African Female Immigrants, Gertrude Mumba-Kaunda

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Despite the advances in medical technology, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second leading cause of death in African-American and Caucasian women in the United States. Mammography has shown to be one of the best methods to reduce late detection of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends monthly self-breast examination (SBE), clinical breast examinations every 3 years, and yearly mammography starting at the age of 40. Despite the recommendations, there is still significant disparity among different racial groups, when it comes to death rates, which can be attributed to low screening rates. The …

A Concurrent Mixed Method Study Exploring Iraqi Immigrants' Views Of Michigan, Kerry Luise Chamberlain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure of emergency response personnel to communicate effectively with different cultures can have dire consequences during an emergency, including loss of lives and litigation costs. For emergency response personnel to communicate the risk of an emergency, it is important to understand how different groups, especially newly arrived foreign immigrants, perceive warnings and related messages. This study addressed how one of the largest category of immigrants in Michigan perceived severe tornados, influenza pandemics, power outages, severe floods, and snowstorms. The research question examined the degree to which the equation, Risk = Hazard + Outrage, explained perceptions of these hazards in Michigan …

Perceptions Of Emergency Preparedness Among Immigrant Hispanics Living In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tornadoes are occurring with increased frequency in Oklahoma. Emergency preparedness planning is essential to decreasing individuals' risks of injury or death from a tornado. Research on immigrant Hispanics' knowledge and perceptions of emergency preparedness is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of immigrant Hispanics who had experienced a tornado or other crisis weather conditions in Oklahoma during spring of 2013. The research questions explored their perceived risk for injury and knowledge of tornado preparedness planning. The health belief model provided the theoretical underpinnings for this qualitative phenomenological study. Semi structured interviews were …

How Are Therapeutic Professionals Interpreting Ethics In Practice With Migrant Clients?, Madeline A. Brenner

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

The research study aimed to understand the praxis of mental health professionals working with immigrant and refugee populations in relation to ethical guidelines and agency protocols. Through practice-led inquiry, seven mental health professionals were interviewed from differing therapeutic backgrounds and orientations; including Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Counseling, and Art Therapy. The researcher sought to identify how theory of therapeutic professionals differ, where professionals are engaging in culturally competent practice and what impact this has on the therapeutic relationship. Participants identified the key components of a positive therapeutic relationship include trust, cultural competency, approach, presence, as well as …

Settlement Experiences Of Professional Immigrant Women In Canada, Usa, Uk And Australia, Naila Meraj

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Highly skilled professionals are often forced to accept jobs below their educational levels after they immigrate and may experience a downward shift both in their career and in their quality of life. This has particular implications for highly skilled immigrant women who strive to maintain their professional identities and balance the demands of family and work. Using a scoping review methodology, this thesis explored the settlement experiences of professional immigrant women in Canada, USA, UK and Australia and how these influence their health and well being. Close readings of the peer-reviewed literature revealed seven themes that relate to the experience …

Toolkit For Mental Health Professionals, Social Workers, And Guidance Counselors Working With Immigrant And Refugee Students, Rojina Maya Mccarthy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to develop a best practices toolkit for social workers and mental health professionals working with immigrant and refugee students in school setting. The toolkit is intended to be disseminated by The Advocates for Human Rights to social workers, guidance counselors, and other mental health professionals who work with immigrant and refugee children. This toolkit will also be used by the staff in the organization.

Risk Factors For Diabetes Mellitus: A Comparative Analysis Of Subpopulation Differences In A Large Canadian Sample, Michael James Taylor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objectives: Certain Canadian subpopulations observe numerous modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for diabetes. This study compares immigrants and Aboriginals (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) with Canada-born individuals at higher risks for diabetes, and deciphers the determinant differences between them.

Methods: Pooled Canadian Community Health Survey data (2001-2010) were used. Time trends for diabetes within each subsample were calculated using individual survey year prevalence rates; diabetes diagnoses were self-reported (N=33,565). Various risk factors were also examined using logistic regression.

Results: Diabetes prevalence rates significantly increased from 2001 to 2010 for each subpopulation, as well as the total sample: Canada-Born individuals (3.9% …

An Exploration Of The Barriers To Diabetes Management Among West African Immigrants In The United States, Oluseyi Grace Abioye-Akanji

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Purpose: To explore the barriers to diabetes management among West African immigrants living in Rhode Island. Study Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews with adults (N=5); men (n=2), women (n=3), Nigerian (n=3), Liberian (n=1), and Ghanaian (n=1) ages ≥18 with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, living in Rhode Island. Demographic information of the participants was obtained using a questionnaire. Interviews were conducted by the researcher and lasted approximately 50 minutes, and were scheduled to accommodate participants’ needs. Interviews were audio-taped and statements of the study participants were recorded. Subjects were redirected to clarify responses when necessary. Content analysis and coding, …