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This paper examines how Chinese immigrants to Canada perceive and experience sexuality in a transnational context as revealed in a qualitative study. It identifies cultural interactions and tensions between ‘the West’ and ‘China’ embedded in participants’ sexual narratives. Three thematic aspects of sexuality are explored: different views toward ‘relationships’ and how sex is involved in different stages of a relationship; physical desire and sexual attraction based on individuals’ dialogues with contemporaries and their own cross-racial dating experience; and perceptions of sexual risks associated with an increasing awareness of China’s opening up, in particular risks associated with attitudes towards condom use. The paper also discusses how such sexual narratives challenge dichotomous imaginings of ‘sexual openness/conservativeness’ in the West-China relationship. Findings help us to better understanding how Chinese immigrants to Canada view the West through the lens of sexuality, and how their transnational experiences have challenge the West-China dichotomy in the sexual imagination and shape understandings of sexual risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research identifies unique challenges for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer at or before 45 years of age. This paper explores the experiences of younger women from diverse cultural backgrounds with breast cancer to see if there are differing healthcare provision needs across cultures. Sandelowski and Barroso's framework for undertaking a meta-synthesis is used in this paper. Initial searches in academic databases returned 42 papers of interest. Re-reading the papers in the context of the research question identified 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Five key themes were identified in these 12 studies. The overarching finding is that, irrespective of cultural background, the confrontation with breast cancer transforms the younger woman's life. It seems that healthcare provision needs do not differ substantially across cultures. Health professionals should address the unique psychosocial effects of cancer in the context of the lifestage of the woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent critical studies of men and masculinities have encouraged greater consideration of global, international and transnational perspectives and processes. Drawing on interview data from a larger research study of transnationalism and HIV risk through the experiences of recent male Chinese immigrants to Canada, this article examines the intersection of masculinity, sexual practice and the HIV risk in a transnational context. As a gendered strategy, transnational mobility is not only employed by men to cope with the challenges of masculinity enactment encountered in Canada, but also to facilitate sexual activities back in China. By highlighting particular risk factors arising from transnational spaces these men inhabit, the paper reveals the interactive and interconnected effects that such experiences have on Chinese immigrant men’s particular behavioural patterns associated with HIV risk, as well as their capacity to respond to this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper draws on in-depth interviews undertaken eight years apart to provide a reflection upon the nature of transnational relationships and settlement over time. It follows the lives of five immigrant families between 1999 and 2007, and focuses in particular on the accounts provided by the women. These individuals migrated to Canada from Hong Kong or Taiwan during the 1990s, and then 'stuck it out', when most of their friends, in contrast, had returned home. The paper uncovers changes in their familial and personal circumstances as a consequence of migration to Canada and their subsequent experiences of transnationalism, and provides insights into the longevity and durability of transnational relationships. It contributes to debates around the persistence of transnationalism over time and the relationship between transnationalism and integration for migrants, whilst also making a methodological point about the need for more longitudinal qualitative accounts of immigrants' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

kwong e.w.-y., pang s.m.-c., choi p.-p. & wong t.k.-s. (2010) Influenza vaccine preference and uptake among older people in nine countries. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(10), 2297–2308. Aim. This paper is a report of a study delineating factors that influence older people’s preferences and uptake of the influenza vaccine in nine countries. Background. Vaccination uptake for the aging population in many countries still remains below the World Health Organization recommended rate. Older people who perceive higher susceptibility to and severity of influenza, and more benefits from vaccination and action cues prompting vaccination, tend to accept the vaccine, but those with more perceived barriers to vaccination are less likely to accept it. Method. A total of 208 older people from China, Indonesia, Turkey, Korea, Greece, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Nigeria were recruited to 14 vaccinated and 12 unvaccinated focus groups. They shared their experiences of influenza, and influenza vaccination, and promotion of influenza vaccination in focus groups. The data were collected in 2007. Findings. We identified five themes and generated a hypothetical framework for in-depth understanding of vaccination behaviour among older people. Participants’ vaccine preferences were determined by their behavioural beliefs in vaccination, which were based on their probability calculation of susceptibility to and severity of influenza and vaccine effectiveness, and their utility calculation of vaccine, healthcare and social costs. Action cues prompting vaccination and vaccine access further affected the vaccine uptake of participants with vaccine preferences. Vaccination coverage was likely to be higher in the countries where normative beliefs in favour of vaccination had formed. Conclusion. The hypothetical framework can be used to guide healthcare providers in developing strategies to foster normative beliefs of older people in vaccination, provide effective action cues and promote vaccine access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]