Healthcare providers' perspectives on parental health literacy and child health outcomes among Southeast Asian American immigrants and refugees

Abstract

Low health literacy has emerged as an important area of research because of its close link with health disparities. In this study, we used a qualitative approach to investigate healthcare providers' perspectives on the health literacy of immigrant and refugee parents and its association with children's health. Sixteen health and mental health professionals serving immigrant and refugee parents and children in various clinical settings were recruited through a purposive sampling method and interviewed. Six broad themes were identified: (1) multi-dimensional components of parental health literacy; (2) parent characteristics and native country experiences; (3) host systems and their interactions impact on parental health literacy; (4) diverse aspects of help-seeking; (5) culture-based parental help-seeking; and (6) child health outcomes. Within these larger themes, the complexity of parental health literacy and its various effects on children's health outcomes among immigrant and refugee parents were evident. Future research includes more population-based quantitative studies of parental health literacy and culturally relevant clinical approaches among immigrant and refugee parents.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Challenges of the Health Care Providers in Refugee Settings: A Systematic Review

“…Also, it was noted that parents have a tendency to use alternative traditional remedies instead of medical prescriptions. 12 In the same fashion, in another study, physicians reported that refugees perceive depression as "sadness," which does not necessarily require formal treatment. 19 Mistrust is another issue connected to culture which manifests itself from the moment providers begin taking medical histories.…”

“…10,11 In addition to the difficulties in taking proper medical history, the diagnosis of mental health problems is particularly a challenge because of the stigma about receiving treatment for mental health. 12 Differential understanding of health care due to cultural backgrounds is also a major challenge encountered by health care providers serving culturally diverse populations in day-to-day practice. In a study conducted in Alaska (USA) with Hmong refugees, it was observed that cross-cultural empathy is a key to proper service provision, and different beliefs of Hmong refugees towards health care should be responded through empathy.…”

“…Therefore, patient involvement can be a huge challenge for health care providers in the provision of preventive health care and proper follow-ups for refugee populations. [12][13][14] A study on Somalian immigrant women and their experiences with American doctors provides a good example of how expectations and different understandings can impact health providers' services to culturally diverse groups. To exemplify, the immediacy of diagnosis and prescription in Somalian Similarly, medical practices change from culture to culture, and the roles expected from providers may not match the roles assigned to health providers in the host country.…”

Is health literacy associated with mental health literacy? Findings from Mental Health Literacy Scale

“…to be associated with greater prevalence of mental illness symptoms, [43][44][45] and poor parental health literacy predicted negative mental well-being for their children. 46 Furthermore, populations with low health literacy are less likely to seek professional help for mental illness symptoms 44,47 and…”

To Increase Mental Health Literacy and Human Rights Among New-Coming, Low-Educated Mothers With Experience of War: A Culturally, Tailor-Made Group Health Promotion Intervention With Participatory Methodology Addressing Indirectly the Children

“…There is less evidence on how other forms of psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, and pain) stemming from pre-and postmigration stressors as well as acculturation problems may influence parenting behavior on child psychosocial outcomes ( 6 ). A qualitative study of healthcare workers’ perceptions on parental health knowledge and child health effects among Southeast Asian American immigrants and refugees explored the following broad themes: complexity of parental health knowledge; experience from the respective home country and parent characteristics; the influence of the reception country system; help-seeking behavior from a culture point of view; and health symptoms on children ( 7 ). An interview study on the experiences of 17 Sudanese refugee women raising their teenagers in Australia, four main issues caught their main worries; such as the shift from child raising in an interdependent society as part of a network of family and community affairs (it takes a whole village to rear the child) to nurturing alone in the reception country context, mothers’ insecurity and practices of dropping their children, both literally and symbolically, defeat of parental authority, and the habits in mothers adjusted to the postmigration context and found new meaning of parenting ( 8 ).…”