Chinese Immigrant Women's Attitudes and Beliefs About Family Involvement in Women's Health and Healthcare: A Qualitative Study in Chicago's Chinatown

Abstract

Purpose: Healthcare utilization and health-seeking behaviors of Chinese American immigrant women may be influenced by longstanding cultural perspectives of family roles and relationships. An understanding of Chinese immigrant women's perceptions of family social support in health and how these beliefs manifest in healthcare utilization and help-seeking behaviors is critical to the development of culturally appropriate health interventions. Focusing on a sample of Chinese women in Chicago's Chinatown, this qualitative study seeks to describe women's attitudes and beliefs about spouse and adult children's involvement in women's health and healthcare.Methods: We conducted six focus groups among 56 Chinese-speaking adult women in Chicago's Chinatown between July and August 2014. Focus groups were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emergent themes.Results: Women reported that their adult children supported their health and healthcare utilization by helping them overcome language and transportation barriers, making and supporting decisions, and providing informational and instrumental support related to diet and nutrition. Women viewed these supports with mixed expectations of filial piety, alongside preferences to limit dependency and help-seeking because of concern and emotional distress regarding burdening adult children. Women's expectations of the spouse involvement in their healthcare were low and were shaped by avoidance of family conflict.Conclusion: Findings inform opportunities for the development of culturally appropriate interventions to enhance Chinese immigrant women's health and healthcare. These include patient navigation/community health worker programs to promote self-management of healthcare and family-centered strategies for enhancing family social support structures and reducing family conflict.

Better Choice, Better Health? Social Integration and Health Inequality among International Migrants in Hangzhou, China

“…However, thus far there has been a dearth of research on immigrant health in China. Previous studies focused either on internal migration and health at the provincial level [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] or on health conditions of Chinese immigrants to other industrial countries [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Relatively little has been done to analyze the impact of social integration and socioeconomic status on immigrant health in China.…”

The Chinatown Patient Navigation Program: Adaptation and Implementation of Breast and Cervical Cancer Patient Navigation in Chicago’s Chinatown

“…Detailed findings are published elsewhere, but briefly, focus groups identified cultural and contextual barriers and facilitators to inform intervention adaptation. 18,19 Findings confirmed Chinatown women's barriers to care, such as transportation, language, lack of Chinese-speaking providers, and perceived stigma. Findings also illuminated preferences among women to limit their family dependency with respect to health care, and elevated physician recommendation and informational and logistical support as facilitators to cancer screening.…”

“…22 Thus, we addressed beliefs such as fatalism, hiding one’s illness to “save face” and avoid bad luck, and traditional gender and family roles identified from our formative research and prior work. 18,23 From these beliefs and traditions, we developed intervention messages and strategies. For example, to highlight family values and counter tendencies to neglect self-care, we encouraged women to undergo cancer screenings as an aspect of taking care of their family.…”

Development of a web tool to increase research literacy in underserved populations through public library partnerships

“…Based on the audio recording and observational notes, summaries of each session were written and used to inform iterative refinement of the paper prototype. Data were analyzed by employing qualitative methods as previously described [ 23 ] to identify codes and generate prevalent themes. Focus groups sessions were held iteratively until thematic saturation–where no new themes emerged.…”

“…Thus, we assessed ease of use by both qualitative interviewing and observation. Based on coding and thematic analysis of notes taken and participant responses [ 23 ], we made adjustments to the single-page web tool prototype iteratively during the first round of usability testing to improve user experiences, resulting in Version 2 of the web tool. We conducted the second round of usability testing similarly at CPL Library Branches D and G using a multi-page prototype that incorporated the improvements made to the single-page prototype during the first round of usability testing, with iterative improvements made to the WordPress build based on documented user experiences, resulting in Version 3.…”