Despite high levels of traumatic exposure, refugees often do not seek mental health services upon resettlement. The purpose of this study was to examine both concepts of mental illness in addition to attitudes and beliefs about treatment as well as potential barriers to accessing mental health services. To that end, qualitative research was done using focus groups with Congolese and Somali men and women in the United States (n = 48) in addition to a community survey with women from those communities (n = 296) administered by staff of a community-based organization. Mental health concerns, although identified, were often dealt with first in the communities themselves with the help of family or friends. Great emphasis was placed on their respective communities of faith. The actual role of mental health professionals was not well understood, and there was apparent hesitancy to use services, which also relates to issues of stigma.
The UJAMBO Program was a series of one session group workshops with Congolese and Somali women in the United States built around a DVD using African immigrant women's stories which provided basic information about mammography, pap smears and mental health services for trauma. The current study is an evaluation of the UJAMBO program addressing the impact on participants'knowledge of these health services and their intentions to use these services.
Nontraditional college students (older, part-time, and/or working) have less healthful nutrition and physical activity behaviors compared to traditional students, yet few health promotion efforts focus on nontraditional students. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to explore factors affecting nutrition and physical activity behaviors of nontraditional students. Fourteen semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nontraditional undergraduate students attending a large university. The sample had a median age of 25 (range: 21–64), 57% were men, 43% were racial/ethnic minorities, and 57% were employed (mean 22 hours/week). Data were coded using a systematic team-based approach. Consistent themes (mentioned by 4+ students) were identified and categorized into three domains: home, work, and school. Home (themes: neighborhood characteristics, family, partners, friends from home), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: cafeteria, vending machines) factors consistently influenced positive nutrition behaviors. Similarly, home (themes: neighborhood including safety, friends from home, partner,), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: not having a car, campus structure, campus gym, friends at school) factors consistently influenced positive physical activity. Financial resources and perceptions of autonomy had influence across domains. Results indicate consistent influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors across home, work, and school domains for nontraditional college students. Study findings suggest possible, and sometimes unconventional, intervention strategies to promote healthful eating and physical activity. For example, when cafeteria meal plans are not offered and financial constraints limit eating at the cafeteria, encouraging healthful choices from vending machines could be preferable to not eating at all.
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