The postnatal experiences of resettled Syrian refugee women: Access to healthcare and social support in Nova Scotia, Canada

Cameron, Emma; Aston, Megan; Ramos, Howard; Kuri, Marwa; Jackson, Lois

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2021.103171

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Syrian refugees prefer to receive health services from institutions that provide services in their own language, therefore, they have no communication problems in RHCs in Turkey. On the contrary, structural barriers (e.g., irregular interpreter services, limited childcare options) impeding Syrian refugee women's access to healthcare were reported in Canada [ 53 ]. However, Syrian HCWs need further training on breastfeeding counseling and they are willing to take the training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breastfeeding practices among Syrian refugees in Turkey

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Nergız

Elci³

et al. 2022

Int Breastfeed J

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Background We evaluated (a) opinion of Syrian and Turkish healthcare workers (HCWs), and perceptions and attitudes of Syrian refugee mothers, pregnant women, fathers and grandmothers on age-appropriate breastfeeding, (b) the effect of cultural characteristics, migration and pandemics on Syrian’s infant nutrition, and (c) the suggestions of HCWs and Syrian family members to improve breastfeeding practices in the Syrian refugee society in a qualitative study. Methods The qualitative study consisting of structured focus group discussions (FGDs) was held in four provinces in Turkey where Syrian refugees live intensely in September and October 2020. Seven different types of online FGDs were held with Turkish HCWs working in maternity hospitals, Syrian HCWs working in Refugee Health Centers (RHCs), Syrian pregnant women, mothers, fathers, and grandmothers. In total, we carried out 46 FGDs with 335 individuals. Thematic analysis of the transcripts in a deductive-inductive fashion was carried out with MAXQDA 11. Results Most Syrian HCWs did not get any training on breastfeeding counseling. The short duration of breastfeeding in Syrian refugees was seen to be related to the cultural characteristics, and migration. Some cultural characteristics can be summarized as “believing that breastfeeding harms mother’s health”, “adolescent marriages”, “wanting to have as many children as possible”, “giving anise to infants and not breastfeeding at night”, “prelacteal feeding”, “believing that milk is not enough”, “over controlling mother–child interaction by grandmothers, which limits the interaction”, “short pregnancy intervals”, and “not using modern family planning techniques”. We found out that migration increased the tendency for adolescent pregnancies, deepened the poverty, and decreased family social support. We did not observe any change in breastfeeding practices during pandemics. Conclusions Breastfeeding counseling programs should be designed in consideration of cultural characteristics of Syrian HCWs and family members. Continuing health education programs for family members with socially appropriate interventions to prevent adolescent marriages are important.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breastfeeding practices among Syrian refugees in Turkey

Yalçın

Nergız

Elci³

et al. 2022

Int Breastfeed J

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“…A closer look at this data further reveals that most of these women were of reproductive age, arrived with young families, or were pregnant and in need of perinatal healthcare (IRCC, 2021). Although Canada is home to diverse cultural groups with varying migrant statuses and histories of forced displacement, minimal knowledge focused on Syrian refugee mothering women's lived experiences of resettlement exists (Guruge et al, 2018;Stirling Cameron et al, 2022). Further scans of current literature reveal disproportionate experiences of health issues among women who are mothering and living with refugee statuses.…”

Section: Situating Refugee Populations In Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors supporting settlement among Syrian refugee women: A longitudinal participatory action research study

Kassam

O’Mahony

Clark

2023

Int Health Trends & Persp

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Introduction: Over 13 million Syrians have been forcibly displaced since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. In response to this humanitarian crisis, several high-income countries have settled thousands of Syrian refugees. In Canada, over 50,000 Syrian refugees have resettled through varying resettlement programs. Half of the refugees are women who are mothers or of child-bearing age, and who experience numerous health disparities. This article reports findings from a larger, Canadian-based study inquiring into the factors supporting and shaping the settlement and integration experiences among women who are Syrian refugees and mothering. Methods: A longitudinal intersectionality-framed participatory action approach was initiated through multiple meetings with a diverse range of non-profit community organizations focused on refugee health and settlement. Through these meetings, sustainable relationships were formed, and trust was built toward further engaging with the Syrian refugee mothering women population. A core group of 4 women were employed as peer research assistants and were integrated across research processes. Results: In total, 40 Syrian refugee mothering women participated in this study. Six themes emerged from data analysis of their lived experiences of resettlement. Four of these themes are published elsewhere. We focus this article on two of the six key findings: harnessing strength-based capabilities, and peer research assistant experiences. Conclusions: The two findings described in this article convey facilitators that add to understanding influences on the mental well-being of Syrian refugee mothering women. Unique to this study is the novel integration of peer research assistants and a model of support which contributes to an ethical and inclusive approach to understanding lived experiences among refugee women. This article highlights how this model benefits the peer research assistant and promotes community engagement among women.

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“…The experiences of 11 resettled Syrian refugee women accessing health care and social support during the postpartum period in Canada were explored by Cameron et al 14 The following 4 themes described the women's experiences: (1) postpartum social support was critical but frequently lacking, (2) structural barriers, such as irregular interpreter services, hindered women accessing health care, (3) paternalistic health care clinicians limited women's autonomy, and (4) the value and need for culturally competent, integrated care such as newcomer health care centers, were needed.…”

Section: Qualitative Reviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teetering on the Edge

Beck¹

2022

Advances in Nursing Science

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Reported prevalence rates of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms in immigrant and refugee women range from 24% to 82%. A third modification of Teetering on the Edge, a grounded theory of postpartum depression, was conducted to extend this midrange theory to address immigrant and refugee women. Data from 13 qualitative studies that specifically focused on this vulnerable population were included in this modification. Two categories were added to the third stage of Teetering on the Edge: Barriers to Sources of Support and Battling Self and Culture. These new categories shed light on the struggles of immigrant and refugee mothers.

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The postnatal experiences of resettled Syrian refugee women: Access to healthcare and social support in Nova Scotia, Canada

Cited by 14 publications

References 33 publications

Breastfeeding practices among Syrian refugees in Turkey

Breastfeeding practices among Syrian refugees in Turkey

Factors supporting settlement among Syrian refugee women: A longitudinal participatory action research study

Teetering on the Edge

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