Background: NICU experiences pose significant challenges for parents, especially immigrants, necessitating comprehensive support. South Asian immigrants, comprising 25% of Canada's visible minority population, face unique adversities related to gender roles, hindering access to essential health services and integration. Coupled with unfavourable social determinants of health (SDoH), these challenges worsen issues like inadequate prenatal care, education, and nutrition, predictors of adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Existing studies lack insight into the specific experiences of South Asian immigrant mothers in the NICU. This study investigates these experiences. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive approach, we recruited four participants for semi-structured interviews, supplemented by a demographic questionnaire and participant observation. Qualitative content analysis was employed for data analysis. Findings: Four key themes were identified from the interviews: (1) Seeking Understanding, (2) Cultural Influence on NICU Experience, (3) Motherhood Journey, and (4) Circle of Care. Implications: This study fills a gap in NICU research for South Asian immigrant women, providing a foundation for future nursing research and practice. It underscores the importance of communication and preparation for discharge delays to ease parental concerns. Additionally, it emphasizes culturally sensitive care practices and encourages further exploration of cultural influences on hospital experiences. Insights from this study can benefit other ethno-racial immigrant groups. / Thesis / Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) / Existing research offers insights into the general challenges and distress often associated with mothers' experiences in the NICU. However, there is little evidence to understand the specific experiences of South Asian immigrant mothers within this context. The objective of this thesis is to describe and understand the experiences in the NICU reported by this population. Employing a qualitative description methodology, this study engaged four eligible participants. Data collection entailed semi-structured interviews alongside a demographic questionnaire. Employing qualitative content analysis, four overarching themes were identified: (1) Seeking to Understand, (2) The Impact of South Asian Culture on the NICU Experience, (3) Becoming a Mother One Step at a Time, and (4) Circle of Care.

Abstrakt    Bakgrund: Bröstcancer är en av de vanligaste cancerformerna hos kvinnor runt om i världen och utgör en betydande risk för hälsan. För utrikesfödda kvinnor finns särskilda utmaningar när det gäller att gå på mammografiscreening, vilket kan ha allvarliga konsekvenser för deras hälsa. För att säkerställa att alla kvinnor får likvärdig vård och att fler deltar i screeningen är det viktigt att identifiera och lösa dessa hinder. Röntgensjuksköterskor spelar en viktig roll genom att ge stöd, information och skapa en trygg miljö för patienter under mammografiscreening. Genom att förstå och hantera de hinder som utrikesfödda kvinnor möter kan vi sträva mot ett mer inkluderande och effektivt vårdsystem.   Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka hinder som utrikesfödda kvinnor möter när det gället att delta i mammografiscreening.  Metod: Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod litteraturöversikt enligt Fribergs metod, där nio artiklar valdes ut för analys och granskning. Sökningen utfördes genom PubMed och Cinahl via Umeå Universitets bibliotekstjänst.  Resultat: Resultaten visade på flera hinder som hindrade utrikesfödda kvinnor från att delta i mammografiscreening. Dessa hinder kategoriserades i tre övergripande huvudkategorier och tio underkategorier: Strukturella hinder, Sociokulturella hinder och Emotionella hinder. Underkategorierna inkluderade bland annat språkbarriärer, bristande kunskap om sjukdomen och screeningen, ekonomiska begränsningar, transportsvårigheter, fatalism, skam och rädsla för smärta.  Konklusion: Sammanfattningsvis visar denna litteraturstudie att utrikesfödda kvinnor möter flera hinder när det gäller att delta i mammografiscreening. För att öka deltagandet är det viktigt att erbjuda anpassad information och stöd samt skapa en trygg och respektfull vårdmiljö. Genom att hantera dessa hinder kan hälso- och sjukvården främja jämlik tillgång till och deltagande i screeningen, vilket är avgörande för tidig upptäckt och behandling av bröstcancer. / Abstract  Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer affecting women worldwide, posing a significant health risk. Immigrant women face specific challenges when it comes to attending mammography screening, which can have serious consequences for their health. To ensure equitable care for all women and increase participation in screening, it is essential to identify and address these barriers. Radiographers play a crucial role by providing support, information, and creating a safe environment for patients during mammography screening. By understanding and addressing the obstacles faced by foreign-born women, we can strive towards a more inclusive and effective healthcare system.  Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of immigrant women regarding barriers to participating in mammography screening.   Methods: The study was conducted using a qualitative method of literature review following Friberg's methodology, where nine articles were selected for analysis and review. The search was performed through PubMed and Cinahl via Umeå University's library service.  Results: The results revealed several barriers hindering immigrant women from participating in mammography screening. These barriers were categorized into three overarching main categories and ten subcategories: Structural barriers, Sociocultural barriers, and Emotional barriers. Subcategories included language barriers, lack of knowledge about the disease and screening, economic constraints, transportation difficulties, fatalism, shame, and fear of pain.  Conclusion: In summary, this literature review highlights that immigrant women encounter multiple barriers to participating in mammography screening. To increase participation, it is crucial to provide tailored information and support and create a safe and respectful healthcare environment. By addressing these barriers, healthcare providers can promote equitable access to and participation in screening, which is essential for the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

Le cancer du sein est l’affection maligne la plus fréquente chez la femme. Depuis la mise sur pied de programmes de dépistage du cancer du sein au Canada, le taux de mortalité par ce cancer a diminué dès le début des années 2000. Cependant, les immigrantes récentes (depuis moins 10 ans) sont toujours réticentes à la mammographie de dépistage, et ce, comparativement aux femmes nées au Canada et les immigrantes de longue durée (plus de 10 ans). L’objectif de cette thèse est de présenter un état des connaissances et des défis reliés au dépistage du cancer du sein chez les immigrantes. Je présenterai d’abord une revue narrative qui trace un portrait général sur les obstacles et les avantages au recours au dépistage du cancer du sein chez les femmes immigrantes. En me basant sur le cadre conceptuel de Lévesque et collaborateurs, j’ai organisé les données en cinq grandes catégories : 1. « La perception des besoins au recours du dépistage du cancer du sein », 2. « la recherche (seeking) du dépistage du cancer du sein », 3. « l’accès (reaching) au dépistage du cancer du sein », 4. « le recours (utilisation) au dépistage du cancer du sein » et 5. « les suivis réguliers (consequences) du dépistages du cancer du sein ». Je procéderai ensuite à une étude analytique transversale des microdonnées de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes (ESCC, 2013-2014). Cette approche méthodologique permet de mettre à jour les données des recours ou non à la mammographie des femmes de 50 à 69 ans. Plusieurs facteurs sont significativement liés à la non-utilisation de cet examen tel que : l’âge, l’état matrimonial (divorcée, veuve, ou célibataire), le faible revenu, le niveau d’éducation moins élevé, le statut d’immigration, le non-accès à un médecin de famille, l’indice de masse corporelle (obésité de classe 3), le tabagisme, etc. Finalement, une troisième étude qualitative a été menée pour décrire les raisons de non-utilisation de la mammographie de dépistage des femmes immigrantes récentes, d’origine maghrébine à Montréal. Comme dans la revue narrative, en se basant encore sur le cadre conceptuel de Lévesque et collaborateurs, les participantes ont révélé des barrières et des facilitateurs communs à l’accès au dépistage : 1. « La perception des besoins au recours du dépistage du cancer du sein », 2. « la recherche (seeking) du dépistage du cancer du sein », 3. « l’accès (reaching) au dépistage du cancer du sein », 4. « le recours (utilisation) au dépistage du cancer du sein » et 5. « les suivis réguliers (consequences) de dépistages du cancer du sein ». Les résultats de cette thèse ont montré plusieurs barrières (socioéconomiques, socioculturelles et autres) à l’accès au dépistage du cancer du sein et/ou à la mammographie chez les femmes immigrantes. Il serait important de mettre en œuvre des outils interventionnels adaptés selon les barrières communes et les divers besoins des femmes immigrantes afin de promouvoir une culture préventive et d’éclairer leur décision quant à l’utilisation ou non de la mammographie de dépistage. / Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease among women. Since the introduction of breast cancer screening programs in the early 2000s, the mortality rate of women with breast cancer in Canada decreased significantly. Despite this decrease, recent immigrant women (who arrived in the host country less than 10 years ago) in Canada have been found to use breast cancer screening programs less frequently. The purpose of this thesis is to shed some light on the state of knowledge related to breast cancer screening among immigrant women, with emphasis on the challenges they face when accessing or using breast screening programs. We first conducted a literature review to describe the current barriers and benefits of using breast cancer screening among immigrant women. Using Lévesque’s patient-centered access to healthcare framework, the data was organized into five major categories: (1) “perception of needs and desire for screening”, (2) “breast cancer screening seeking”, (3) “breast cancer screening reaching”, (4) “breast cancer screening utilisation”, and (5) “breast cancer screening consequences”. The second study was a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, 2013/2014) to update the data regarding the use of mammography services among women aged 50 to 69 years. Several socioeconomic factors were significantly related to the low use of mammography services, including: age, marital status (divorced, widowed, or single), lower income, lower level of education, status of immigration (being an immigrant), lack of access to a family doctor, body mass index (obese class 3), and smoking status (being a smoker), etc. Finally, we present the findings of a qualitative study which was conducted to investigate the barriers and facilitators to mammography screening use among recent immigrant women from Northwest Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) currently residing in Montreal. As in the narrative review, again based on the Lévesque et al. conceptual framework, the participants identified common barriers and facilitators to accessing screening: “perception of needs and 8 desire for screening”, “breast cancer screening seeking”, “breast cancer screening reaching”, “breast cancer screening utilisation”, and “breast cancer screening consequences”. The results of this thesis indicated that there were various barriers (e.g. sociocultural, socioeconomic, etc.) to accessing breast cancer screening and /or mammography among immigrant women. It is important to implement new interventional tools adapted to the common barriers and diverse needs of immigrant women in order to promote preventive culture and enable them to make informed choices regarding screening mammography.

No description available.

Perception of cervical cancer screening among Immigrant African women residing in Houston, Texas Esther I. Orji M.Ed., University of Lagos, 2002 B. Ed, Abia State University, 1998 A.C. E. University of Benin, 1990 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University August 2016 Disparities in cervical cancer screening participation still exist especially among immigrant and minority women compared to non immigrant populations. Research investigators through multiple studies have explored reasons for non participation in cervical cancer screening among immigrant and minority women. However, there was limited research specifically on how immigrant women of African descent could be empowered to overcome barriers associated with cervical cancer screening in Houston Texas. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the perceptions of factors which are barriers to perform cervical cancer screening tests among immigrant women of African descent, as well as their beliefs on preventive medicine, and how immigrant women could be empowered in order to overcome barriers associated with cervical cancer screening. The theoretical framework was based on the health belief model. The participants for the study were 20 immigrant women of African descent aged 21-65. A semi-structured interview schedule which comprised of open ended questions was used to collect data on the perspectives of immigrant women towards cervical cancer screening. Data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. The social change implications of the study can be that immigrant women could be more encouraged to seek access to the appropriate state of the art in cervical cancer screening which could contribute in reducing mortality, morbidity rate, and costs associated with cervical cancer.

Immigrants to Canada report better health status than the Canadian-born population when they first arrive in Canada, a phenomenon called the Healthy Immigrant Effect. However, by the fourth year after immigration, immigrants report a health status that is worse than that of the Canadian-born population. Visible minority immigrant women report the largest deterioration in health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of visible minority immigrant women with encounters with the Canadian healthcare system to examine the multiplicative impact of gender, ethnicity, and immigration on their health. This phenomenological study, guided by Crenshaw's feminist intersectionality framework, explored the perspectives of a purposive sample of 8 immigrant women in Ottawa, Canada, about their encounters with the healthcare system. Data were collected through individual interviews. These data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis following the process outlined by Smith et al. for interpretative phenomenological analysis. Key findings of the study revealed that immigrant women define health more holistically and have expectations of the encounters with healthcare that are not met due to barriers that impact them accessing healthcare services, experiencing healthcare services, and following the recommended options. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations for public health to consider immigration and racism as determinants of health; and for Health Canada to undertake system-level lines of inquiry to shed light on the ways structural discrimination and racism have had an impact on immigrant women's social and health trajectory.

Background: Because immigration is a stressful life event accompanied by acculturation pressure in a new country, it inevitably influences the mental health of immigrants. Thus, the goal of this dissertation is to investigate the mental health status and utilization of professional mental health services among immigrant women at least 50 years of age and to identify barriers and protective factors associated with mental disorders and access to mental health services. Method: This secondary cross-sectional study utilizing the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Survey (CPES), which comprises three nationally representative surveys conducted between 2001 and 2003 including the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) and the National Latino and Asian American Survey (NLAAS). The information on county-level characteristics was derived from the 2000 U.S. Census data. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses, including multilevel modeling, were performed. Result: Twenty-seven percent of all immigrant women ages 50 and older met the criteria for a diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Compared to Black immigrant women, Latinas were more likely to have anxiety and mood disorders. Both Asian and Latina women demonstrated a higher probability of seriously considering suicide than Black women. Among those with a diagnosable mental health condition, successfully accessing professional mental health services was positively associated with younger age, being Latina, more frequent communication with others about their problems, and being covered by health insurance. Asian women living in the US who perceived themselves as having a high social status were more likely to use professional mental health services than Asian women who considered themselves to be of a lower social status. Although aggregated county-level characteristics explained 2% of the variance for experiencing mental disorders in the empty model, the county-level socioeconomic disadvantages, racial density and residential mobility, were not significantly associated with any mental disorder. Conclusion: Racial disparities exist in four mental disorders among middle and older immigrant women in the US. Women of older age and Asian ethnicity were less likely to utilize professional mental health services. The primary factors that enabled aging immigrant women with mental disorders to obtain professional mental health services were insurance status and effective communication about problems in daily life. Therefore, increasing insurance coverage, and improving the quality of medical care are strategies that should be considered for future policies aiming to address the underutilization of mental health services among aging immigrant women with mental disorders. / acase@tulane.edu

<p>The purpose of this degree project is to obtain a greater understanding of how the support for abused immigrant women is designed and if these measures respond to the women’s own wishes and needs. I also want to investigate the possible advantages and disadvantages, there are under the social ser­vi­ces and voluntary organizations (NGOs) and women themselves when it comes to spe­cific sup­port measures for immigrant women. On which basis have these support measures been designed and what experience or research starting points are based on? To what extent do they answer to women’s needs according to the staff, and to the women's own view?</p><p>The study is based on qualitative data consisting of five interviews and one case report of an abused woman. The participants I interviewed were three social workers from two different de­partments in Kristianstad administrations, one coordinator from the women’s support centre in Kristianstad and one pre-school teacher from the Family house Näsby in Kristianstad and one abused woman. To contextualize the information gathered, the normalization process by Eva Lundgren and stigma theory by Goffman have been used. The empirical material from my five semi-structured interviews and the case report has been analyzed on the basis of the normalization process and stigma theory, as well as literature and expert knowledge on abused immigrant women. Through this study I have come to the conclusion that the support measures to an abused immigrant women was based on her own needs. I have also noticed in my results that the professionals have different work procedures and different ways to refute abused immigrant women depending on their knowledge of other countries’ culture.</p><p> </p>

Among the ever-growing studies on globalization and economic development, research studies focused on specific women's issues are few and far between. An increasing concentration of immigrant women in the ethnic markets across the United States has raised interest into the motivation and rationality behind these women in choosing this entrepreneurial niche as a main venue to enter the labor market in the North American economy. The implications of this phenomenon, both for the women involved and for the local economy, need to be ascertained and analyzed. This dissertation is a case study that uses the ethnographic method and several ethnographic techniques, such as archival research, focus groups, participant observation, and in-depth interviews, as means of exploring this research problem. The main goal of this study is to investigate the socio-economic relationship between immigrant women from Latin America and the Caribbean and The Redland Harvest Market Village in South Dade County, Florida. It seeks to understand why these immigrant women choose this ethnic market as a venue to enter the local labor market. This study examines the impact upon these women's livelihoods caused by their participation in the ethnic market as well as the ethnic market itself as a modifier of both immigrant women's relations of class, ethnicity and gender; and of the local economy framed within the Cuban economic enclave. This case study is guided by the following research questions. Do immigrant women improve their socio-economic status via incorporation into the ethnic market? Do immigrant women increase their sense of "empowerment" and "well-being" via incorporation into the ethnic market? Employing primary data, including 36 in-depth interviews of immigrant women working in The Redland Harvest Market Village in South Dade County, Florida, this case study identifies a variety of socio-economic elements that allowed for the separation of the findings into two conclusion sets: analytical and theoretical. Within the analytical conclusions, this case study points out several socio-economic variables. Immigrant women's livelihood is identified as the unit of analysis and its components are the main independent variables. Income is identified as the main dependent variable to modify the independent variables. At The Redland Harvest Market Village, immigrant women participate under certain conditions that limit their production value. Only Cash transactions and the low market value of the commodities offered in this ethnic market, yield a very limited income that constrains these women to a marginal and alternative subdivision of the informal sector within the local economy. However, this participation allows them to acquire some retailing skills useful in future entrepreneur ventures. In their private sphere, these women experience a perceivable gain in decision-making power within their family structure, despite obtaining limited financial independence. Within the theoretical conclusions, this study reveals similar levels of variation consistent with previous studies of female immigrants groups in the U.S. These women's socio-economic livelihood categories of ethnicity, class, educational level, labor skills and family structure hold patterns of similitude with women involved in zones of mass production in Southeast Asia and those working in the Maquiladora model of mass production on the U.S. Mexican border. The benefits obtained by these women from their participation in The Redland Harvest Market Village can be measured in terms of their gains in the degree of financial independence, decision-making, spatial mobility, and voice. The process of empowerment is completed through the creation of agency in these women livelihoods; an inventory of their capabilities or potentialities to live their life; and the actual funtionings or achievements of their capabilities. The sense of well-being and empowerment achieved through the introduction of a socio-economic modifier, such as earned income, is noticeable in the change in these women's disposition toward their role as individuals, wives, and mothers living within the community.

The purpose of this degree project is to obtain a greater understanding of how the support for abused immigrant women is designed and if these measures respond to the women’s own wishes and needs. I also want to investigate the possible advantages and disadvantages, there are under the social ser­vi­ces and voluntary organizations (NGOs) and women themselves when it comes to spe­cific sup­port measures for immigrant women. On which basis have these support measures been designed and what experience or research starting points are based on? To what extent do they answer to women’s needs according to the staff, and to the women's own view? The study is based on qualitative data consisting of five interviews and one case report of an abused woman. The participants I interviewed were three social workers from two different de­partments in Kristianstad administrations, one coordinator from the women’s support centre in Kristianstad and one pre-school teacher from the Family house Näsby in Kristianstad and one abused woman. To contextualize the information gathered, the normalization process by Eva Lundgren and stigma theory by Goffman have been used. The empirical material from my five semi-structured interviews and the case report has been analyzed on the basis of the normalization process and stigma theory, as well as literature and expert knowledge on abused immigrant women. Through this study I have come to the conclusion that the support measures to an abused immigrant women was based on her own needs. I have also noticed in my results that the professionals have different work procedures and different ways to refute abused immigrant women depending on their knowledge of other countries’ culture.