Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health最新文献

This article describes the steps involved in creating a prototype with a gamified approach aimed at highlighting the challenges encountered by immigrants in foreign countries. This serious game sought to provide an interactive experience that mirrored the real-life obstacles faced by immigrants, fostering empathy among non-immigrant players in these scenarios, with the goal of improving attitudes toward immigrants. During the development phase of the game, a user-centered design approach was employed. The project was divided into several phases: understanding the context, comprehending user needs, iterative prototyping, and usability testing. Both immigrants and non-immigrants participated in the study, directly contributing to defining requirements and evaluating the game. The serious game "Typical Day," designed to simulate everyday situations faced by immigrants through interactive scenarios and critical decisions, demonstrated positive acceptance in terms of usability and engagement. The results indicated that "Typical Day" provided an engaging and educational gaming experience, successfully balancing entertainment and information. Positive feedback from 45 non-immigrant participants highlighted its potential as an educational tool to raise awareness about the experiences of immigrants. However, further studies are needed to evaluate its long-term impact on attitudes and behaviors. In conclusion, this study contributes to the literature by addressing a gap in gamified approaches to immigrant challenges, laying the foundation for future developments in serious games aimed at promoting attitude change.

Migrant and minority women in the United States face a high likelihood of experiencing poor reproductive health outcomes. Hispanic/Latina women are an especially high-risk population. Comprehensive and high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRHC) is desperately needed among this population, yet many Latina women face substantial barriers in accessing care. This study builds upon the three-delays model to better understand why Latina women experience delays in accessing quality SRHC in the state of South Carolina. Data for this study were drawn from semi-structed interviews with 14 adult women identifying as either Hispanic or Latina. Findings reveal that structural factors, including long distances to facilities, high costs of care, and difficulties navigating local healthcare and insurance systems, served as barriers to accessing quality SRHC. Socio-cultural factors, such as communication challenges and low cultural competency among healthcare providers, further inhibited access to care, even among women who spoke fluent English. These findings indicate a need for SRHC education and services to be more culturally-centered, by accounting for cultural knowledge and historical dynamics, and by giving patients more agency with respect to their care. Regarding the three-delays model, future applications should seek to better incorporate preventive services and consider that perceptions of quality SRHC are both individually- and contextually-mediated. This will be an important step toward developing policies and programs that are appropriately tailored to specific populations' cultural backgrounds and contextual needs.

In Australia, Middle Eastern refugees, notably the Ezidi community (an ethnic and religious minority from Northern Iraq and Syria) are disproportionately affected by high rates of vitamin and iron deficiencies. These deficiencies pose significant health risks and can impact overall well-being. Recent studies have suggested a possible correlation between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and deficiencies in essential vitamins and iron, highlighting an important area of research that warrants further exploration. Understanding the relationship between H. pylori infection and nutrient deficiencies in newly arrived Ezidi refugees is critical for several reasons. First, it may provide insights into the underlying health challenges faced by this population, who often arrive with pre-existing health issues. Second, establishing this association could inform current screening practices, allowing for targeted interventions that address both H. pylori infection and nutritional deficiencies. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to the development of effective health strategies that enhance the well-being of Ezidi refugees, ensuring they receive the necessary support to thrive in their new environment. By focusing on this intersection of infectious disease and nutritional health, we can better understand and mitigate the risks faced by this vulnerable group. A retrospective cohort study was performed using data collected from Ezidi refugees in Armidale Medical Centre and Armidale Hospital from 2018 to 2024. The data was analysed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori and deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Further analysis was done with data from Armidale Medical Center only, to study any potential association between H. pylori infection and those same micronutrient deficiencies. H. pylori infection was detected in 76.7% of refugees tested. The rates of iron deficiency were 35.2% at Armidale Medical Centre and 41.9% at Armidale Hospital. Vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 50.7% and 58% of individuals, and vitamin D deficiency was present in 79.6% and 82.6%, respectively. No statistically significant associations were found between H. pylori infection and iron or vitamin D deficiency. However, a statistically significant association was observed between the absence of H. pylori and vitamin B12 deficiency. There is a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infection, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency among Ezidi refugees in Armidale. The relationship between H. pylori infection and micronutrient deficiencies remains unclear. Further research is needed to clarify these associations and guide future screening protocols for Ezidi refugees.

Food insecurity (FI) prevalence rates among U.S. refugees can range up to 85%. FI-related health outcomes, such as hypertension and obesity, are also prevalent among refugees. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an evidence-based federal nutrition assistance program that can reduce FI and improve health outcomes. Previous research shows that not every eligible refugee can access SNAP. What remains unknown is the SNAP nonparticipation rate among a representative sample of U.S. refugees. We estimated this rate using the 2021 Annual Survey of Refugees, which provides nationally representative data of U.S. refugees who were resettled between fiscal years 2016 and 2020. We determined the eligibility for SNAP by using the average monthly net household income of a household, the household size (i.e., the number of people residing in a household), and the SNAP net income eligibility thresholds for 2021. Percentages and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated with weighted data to be nationally representative of the U.S. refugee population. Results suggest that 28.6% (95% confidence interval: 23.4-33.8) of income-eligible refugee households (those with a net income below the federal poverty level) did not participate in SNAP. Future research should comprehensively identify barriers and facilitators in accessing SNAP and develop strategies to improve refugees' access to SNAP.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a U.S. federal nutrition assistance program that provides low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 with supplemental foods, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education. At least 20% of participants of WIC in Washington state are immigrants. Information on how many WIC-authorized stores are ethnic stores, where immigrants could more readily access culturally preferred foods, is unknown. This study aims to assess the availability and distribution of WIC-authorized ethnic stores in Washington state, relative to the location of immigrant WIC-eligible populations. Data on the location of WIC-authorized stores, classified as ethnic or non-ethnic stores, were obtained from the Washington WIC Shopper mobile app. Sociodemographic information for each census tract was obtained from the American Community Survey 2017-2021. We estimated the distribution of, and distance to, WIC-authorized ethnic stores, compared across census tracts with high versus low proportions of foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children in Washington state. Almost 1/3 (29%) of census tracts in Washington state had WIC-authorized stores; 1.7% had WIC-authorized ethnic stores. Census tracts with high proportions of both foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children, compared with census tracts with low proportions, had more ethnic stores (14.5%) and shorter distances to them (3.0 km). Census tracts in Washington state with higher proportions of foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children had better physical access to WIC-authorized ethnic stores, though these stores are rare. Future research should explore barriers and facilitators for ethnic stores becoming WIC-authorized.

To reduce health disparities among migrant populations, it is critical to fully understand the barriers they face when accessing and utilizing healthcare services. This study uses data from a survey of 1,060 immigrants from various backgrounds to investigate the causes of unmet healthcare needs. The findings show that 298 respondents reported having unmet healthcare needs. Significant contributors to these unmet healthcare needs include country of origin, visa status, occupation, experiences of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, self-assessed health status, anxiety, depression, and disability. Immigrant health disparities must be effectively addressed through policy reforms and increased budgetary allocations for migrant healthcare. Furthermore, developing educational programs and informational pamphlets to raise immigrants' awareness of their healthcare rights is critical for empowering them to protect these rights. Furthermore, initiatives that promote integration and facilitate the exchange of information and mutual assistance between immigrants and native populations are critical for promoting social cohesion and addressing healthcare disparities.

With more immigrants coming to Canada, mental health providers are supporting increasingly diverse clients. The Supporting Successful Transplantation (SST) tool offers a potential solution to explore intersectional aspects of newcomer identities; to identify their diverse challenges, including shared issues like racism and discrimination, as well as their unique strengths, and resources. The SST tool emerged from the findings of a study of immigrants to southern Alberta. Using the universal visual metaphor of a tree planted in new conditions, it seeks to provide an intuitive and collaborative way to identify migrants' strengths and challenges and honour their diverse contexts. In this note from the field, we overview the SST resource and its development and provide suggestions for how various community professionals may utilize it in collaboration with their newcomer clients.