Living a Healthy Life in Australia: Exploring Influences on Health for Refugees from Myanmar

Abstract

Background: Humanitarian migrants from Myanmar represent a significant refugee group in Australia; however, knowledge of their health needs and priorities is limited. This study aims to explore the meaning and influencers of health from the perspectives of refugees from Myanmar. Method: Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, a partnership was formed between the researchers, Myanmar community leaders and other service providers to inform study design. A total of 27 participants were recruited from a government-funded English language program. Data were collected using a short demographic survey and four focus groups, and were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis methods. Results: Key themes identified included: (1) health according to the perspectives of Australian settled refugees from Myanmar, (2) social connections and what it means to be part of community, (3) work as a key influence on health, and (4) education and its links with work and health. Conclusions: This study outlined the inter-relationships between health, social connections, work and education from the perspectives of refugees from Myanmar. It also outlined how people from Myanmar who are of a refugee background possess strengths that can be used to manage the various health challenges they face in their new environment.

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“…The Bendigo Community Health Services recognized that information about health responses to the pandemic shared via mainstream mechanisms such as television, radio, and leaflets written in English were unlikely to reach and be effective with Karen community members. These observations and in-practice learnings of BCHS are further supported by research that indicated the Karen community has less access to mainstream news and low levels of health literacy (9,10). Furthermore, they report lower uptake and use of digital technology than the wider Australian community, and as a former-refugee community, they are located on the "digital fringe" (11).…”

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“…Pekerjaan merupakan pengaruh utama terhadap kesihatan orang pelarian (Wong et al, 2019;Wood et al, 2019;Yijala & Luoma, 2019). Sebagai contoh, kajian oleh Wood et al (2019) mendapati orang pelarian Afrika di Australia berasa lebih sihat secara keseluruhan apabila bekerja, melalui aktiviti fizikal pekerjaan itu sendiri, serta dengan wujudnya rutin dan tujuan harian.…”

“…Sebagai contoh, kajian oleh Wood et al (2019) mendapati orang pelarian Afrika di Australia berasa lebih sihat secara keseluruhan apabila bekerja, melalui aktiviti fizikal pekerjaan itu sendiri, serta dengan wujudnya rutin dan tujuan harian. Sama seperti kajian oleh Wong et al (2019), mereka mendapati pekerjaan secara tidak langsung memberi manfaat kepada kesihatan fizikal orang pelarian Myanmar di Australia melalui perjalanan pergi dan balik ke tempat kerja, serta semasa melakukan pekerjaan itu sendiri. Di samping itu, pekerjaan mendatangkan kesan positif bukan sahaja terhadap kesihatan fizikal, malah kesihatan psikologi dan kepuasan hidup orang pelarian (Yijala & Luoma, 2019).…”

“…Contohnya, Flug dan Hussein (2019) dalam kajian mereka mendapati majoriti orang pelarian di Newcastle yang mempunyai kelayakan serta pengalaman profesional bekerja sebagai buruh pembinaan dengan bayaran yang rendah kerana kelayakan mereka tidak diiktiraf di UK. Hal ini sama seperti kajian oleh Labys, Dreyer dan Burns (2017) serta Wong et al (2019), di mana kelayakan dan pengalaman kerja orang pelarian dalam kajian mereka tidak diiktiraf di Afrika Selatan dan Australia.…”