Health-Related Beliefs, Practices, and Experiences of Migrant Dominicans in the Northeastern United States

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to describe cultural health beliefs, practices, and experiences with professional health care in the United States by migrants from the Dominican Republic because their practices are largely unknown to professional providers. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was used, guided by Leininger’s culture care theory and four-phase analysis method with a convenience sample of 15 self-identified migrant Dominican adults in three interpreter-assisted focus groups, in a familiar apartment. Results: The following four themes emerged: Stress affects health and well-being, family support and faith in God are essential, use of folk care and professional care to treat illness and maintain health, and access to care, cost, communication and expressions of caring practices affect perceptions about the quality of professional care. Discussion: Results informed development of specific strategies to provide culturally responsive care and risk-reduction interventions that promote health and improve quality of care in the Dominican community.

Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality: An Overview With a Historical Retrospective and a View Toward the Future

“…However, over the past six decades many books, book chapters, white papers, and journal articles based on supporting research studies have become accessible to nurses, enabling them to use their own discovery of and knowledge about care meanings from both similar and diverse cultures. Some relevant exemplars include Missal, Clark, and Kovaleva (2016) and Sensor (2018). In addition, some researchers have confirmed culture care constructs from those previously discovered in earlier ethnonursing studies.…”

“…Leininger (2006a) added this tenet based on supporting data from published studies about resident care in culturally focused nursing homes (McFarland, 1997; McFarland & Zehnder, 2006) as well as other community settings (Leuning, Small, & van Dyk, 2002). Later studies provided further support for this tenet (Burkett et al, 2017; Chiatti, 2019; Mixer et al, 2015; Mixer, Fornehed, Varney, & Lindley, 2014; Sensor, 2018; Wolf et al, 2014).…”

“…McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2015a, 2018). These constructs were adapted further in more recent ethnonursing studies by Mixer (2016, 2018), Sensor (2018), and Wolf et al (2014). Unlike operational definitions used in quantitative studies, these constructs or theory definitions are orientational.…”

“…These definitions of health have been confirmed by numerous ethnonursing researchers. Sensor (2018) found three cultural health beliefs, practices, and experiences of migrant Dominicans living in the United States: "Stress affects health and wellbeing, family support and faith in God are essential, [and the] use of folk and professional care to treat illness and maintain health" (p. 1). While studying the perceptions of Muslim nurses in Kuwait about the role of Islamic values in their nursing practice, Atkinson (2015) found the commonly held belief among participants that religious teachings promote health.…”

“…Several central constructs used in the CCT have been described and defined in numerous ethnonursing studies (Leininger, 1991a, 1995b, 2001; Leininger & McFarland, 2002, 2006; McFarland & Wehbe-Alamah, 2015a, 2018). These constructs were adapted further in more recent ethnonursing studies by Strang and Mixer (2016, 2018), Sensor (2018), and Wolf et al (2014). Unlike operational definitions used in quantitative studies, these constructs or theory definitions are orientational .…”