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Background: Inequalities in immigrants' oral health are often masked in population-level data. Therefore, this paper was planned to assess the prevalence data on oral health diseases, namely dental caries, and periodontitis, among immigrants worldwide. Methods: Following a systematic search in Scopus, Embase, and PubMed for studies published between 2011 and 2023, 1342 records were identified. Following title and abstract screening, 76 studies remained for full-text eligibility-screening based on predefined inclusion criteria. Thirty-two studies were included in the review. Results: Dental caries figures were higher in immigrant populations compared to the local population, regardless of host countries, age, gender, or nationality. In children, the overall mean and standard deviation (SD) for decayed, missing, and filled teeth in the primary dentition (d3mft) was 3.63(2.47), and for D3MFT (permanent dentition), it was 1.7(1.2). Upon comparing overall mean caries counts in children and adults with their control groups in the included studies, untreated dental caries (D3T and d3t) constituted the dominant share of caries experience (D3MFT and d3mft) in immigrant children. For the local population, the highest proportion of caries experience was attributed to filled teeth (FT and ft). Dentin caries prevalence among immigrants ranged from 22% to 88.7% in the primary dentition and 5.6% to 90.9% in the permanent dentition. Gingivitis ranged from 5.1% to 100%. Oral health varied greatly between studies. Regarding oral health accessibility, 52% to 88% of immigrant children had never been to a dentist, suggesting a very limited level of accessibility to dental health services. Conclusion: It is imperative to develop interventions and policies that have been customized to address the oral health disparities experienced by immigrant populations. Additionally, host countries should actively implement measures aimed at enhancing the accessibility of oral health care services for these individuals. The utilization of available data is crucial in establishing a hierarchy of objectives aimed at enhancing the oral health of immigrant populations. Trial registration: The Scoping review protocol was registered at OSF Registries with registration number (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MYXS4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Inequalities in immigrants' oral health are often masked in population-level data. Therefore, this paper was planned to assess the prevalence data on oral health diseases, namely dental caries, and periodontitis, among immigrants worldwide. Methods Following a systematic search in Scopus, Embase, and PubMed for studies published between 2011 and 2023, 1342 records were identified. Following title and abstract screening, 76 studies remained for full-text eligibility-screening based on predefined inclusion criteria. Thirty-two studies were included in the review. Results Dental caries figures were higher in immigrant populations compared to the local population, regardless of host countries, age, gender, or nationality. In children, the overall mean and standard deviation (SD) for decayed, missing, and filled teeth in the primary dentition (d3mft) was 3.63(2.47), and for D3MFT (permanent dentition), it was 1.7(1.2). Upon comparing overall mean caries counts in children and adults with their control groups in the included studies, untreated dental caries (D3T and d3t) constituted the dominant share of caries experience (D3MFT and d3mft) in immigrant children. For the local population, the highest proportion of caries experience was attributed to filled teeth (FT and ft). Dentin caries prevalence among immigrants ranged from 22% to 88.7% in the primary dentition and 5.6% to 90.9% in the permanent dentition. Gingivitis ranged from 5.1% to 100%. Oral health varied greatly between studies. Regarding oral health accessibility, 52% to 88% of immigrant children had never been to a dentist, suggesting a very limited level of accessibility to dental health services. Conclusion It is imperative to develop interventions and policies that have been customized to address the oral health disparities experienced by immigrant populations. Additionally, host countries should actively implement measures aimed at enhancing the accessibility of oral health care services for these individuals. The utilization of available data is crucial in establishing a hierarchy of objectives aimed at enhancing the oral health of immigrant populations. Trial registration The Scoping review protocol was registered at OSF Registries with registration number ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MYXS4 ).

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the experiential meaning of child-rearing for marriage immigrant women in Korea in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Using the hermeneutic descriptive phenomenology framework developed by Colaizzi, 10 marriage immigrant women rearing preschool and school-age children were invited through purposive and snowball sampling from two multicultural support centers in Korea. The participants were rearing one or two children, and their original nationalities were Vietnamese, Japanese, Cambodian, and Chinese. Individual in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted from September 1 to November 30, 2021. We extracted significant statements from the transcripts, transformed these into abstract formulations, and organized them into theme clusters and themes to authentically capture the essence of the participants' subjective experiences. Results: Four theme clusters with 14 themes were derived. The four theme clusters identified were "navigating child healthcare alone," "guilt for not providing a social experience," "worry about media- dependent parenting," and "feelings of incompleteness and exclusion." This study explored the perspectives of mothers raising children as marriage migrant women who experienced physical and emotional health crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The findings underscore that marriage immigrant women encountered heightened challenges in managing their children's health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic due to linguistic and cultural barriers limiting access to healthcare and information. Additionally, these women experienced considerable emotional stress from perceived inadequacies in providing a holistic social and developmental environment for their children under extensive social restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer diagnosis and fourth leading cause of cancer-related death globally. The incidence of gastric cancer in the USA shows significant racial and ethnic disparities with gastric cancer incidence in Korean Americans being over five times higher than in non-Hispanic whites. Since gastric cancer is not common in the USA, there are no current screening guidelines. In countries with higher incidences of gastric cancer, screening guidelines have been implemented for early detection and intervention and this has been associated with a reduction in mortality. Immigrants from high incidence countries develop gastric cancer at lower rates once outside of their country of origin, but continue to be at higher risk for developing gastric cancer. This risk does seem to decrease with subsequent generations. With increasing availability of endoscopy, initiating gastric cancer screening guidelines for high-risk groups can have the potential to improve survival by diagnosing and treating gastric cancer at an earlier stage. This article aims to provide context to gastric cancer epidemiology globally, review risk factors for developing gastric cancer, highlight racial and ethnic disparities in gastric cancer burden in the USA, examine current guidelines that exist in high incidence countries, and suggest future studies examining the efficacy of additional screening in high-risk populations to reduce gastric cancer mortality and disparate burden on ethnic minorities in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: As a vulnerable group in HIV control programs, immigrants face various obstacles to HIV testing. Despite the effectiveness of peer interventions on health promotion in HIV testing, relatively little is known about how these interventions work. This realist review aims to understand why, how, and under what conditions peer interventions can improve immigrants’ HIV testing uptake. Methods: We followed the steps suggested by Pawson and colleagues for conducting the realist review. To test a initial program theory, we first systematically searched databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane, as well as the websites of UNAIDS, World Bank, Global Fund, WHO, and IOM. After data extraction and quality appraisal, data synthesis was conducted to explain the intervention pathways corresponding to context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Results: Seventeen studies were included in the review. Peer interventions for improving immigrants’ HIV testing uptake worked through four pathways: Following the improvement of communications (as a proximal mechanism): 1) increasing awareness, 2) reduced stigma, 3) improved support, and 4) increased access to services could lead to improved HIV testing uptake among immigrants. The identified mechanisms were influenced by three groups of individual/ interpersonal, service delivery, and structural factors. Conclusion: Peer interventions with multiple strategies to be designed and implemented considering the barriers to HIV testing and also moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches can successfully improve the immigrants’ HIV testing uptake. The refined program theory in this study can help the healthcare providers and policy-makers promote the immigrants’ HIV testing uptake and reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Ethnic disparities in stillbirth exist in Europe and suboptimal care due to miscommunication is one contributing cause. The MAMAACT intervention aimed to reduce ethnic disparity in stillbirth and newborns' health through improved management of pregnancy complications. The intervention encompassed training of antenatal care midwives in cultural competencies and intercultural communication combined with health education materials for the expecting parents about symptoms of pregnancy complications. The evaluation consisted of a qualitative in-depth implementation analysis and a process evaluation embedded in a cluster randomized trial including 19 of 20 maternity wards in Denmark. In this article, the findings from the different evaluation perspectives are integrated. The integration follows the principles of realist evaluation by analyzing to what extent the MAMAACT activities were generating mechanisms of change in interaction with the context. The integration analysis shows that the health education materials in the MAMAACT intervention contributed to heightened health literacy concerning pregnancy complications among pregnant women. Additionally, the training of midwives in cultural competency and intercultural communication raised awareness among midwives. Nonetheless, the exclusive emphasis on midwives and the inflexibility in care provision hindered them from changing their communication practices. To enhance the cultural competence in maternity care, it is essential to implement more comprehensive initiatives involving healthcare professionals in maternity care at all levels, from pregraduate to postgraduate. Adequate interpreter services and management support should also be ensured. Currently, the Danish antenatal care system faces challenges including inadequate information transfer between healthcare sectors, insufficient differentiation of care, and inflexibility in midwife scheduling. This results in a lack of responsiveness to the individual needs of women with immigrant backgrounds, potentially reproducing health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a vulnerable group in HIV control programs, immigrants face various obstacles to HIV testing. Despite the effectiveness of peer interventions on health promotion in HIV testing, relatively little is known about how these interventions work. This realist review aims to understand why, how, and under what conditions peer interventions can improve immigrants' HIV testing uptake. Methods: We followed the steps suggested by Pawson and colleagues for conducting the realist review. To test a initial program theory, we first systematically searched databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane, as well as the websites of UNAIDS, World Bank, Global Fund, WHO, and IOM. After data extraction and quality appraisal, data synthesis was conducted to explain the intervention pathways corresponding to context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Results: Seventeen studies were included in the review. Peer interventions for improving immigrants' HIV testing uptake worked through four pathways: Following the improvement of communications (as a proximal mechanism): 1) increasing awareness, 2) reduced stigma, 3) improved support, and 4) increased access to services could lead to improved HIV testing uptake among immigrants. The identified mechanisms were influenced by three groups of individual/ interpersonal, service delivery, and structural factors. Conclusion: Peer interventions with multiple strategies to be designed and implemented considering the barriers to HIV testing and also moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches can successfully improve the immigrants' HIV testing uptake. The refined program theory in this study can help the healthcare providers and policy-makers promote the immigrants' HIV testing uptake and reduce the risk of disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant youth are vulnerable and face a risk of internalised disorders such as depression. This qualitative meta-synthesis explores migrant adolescents' experience of depression. 14 studies (7 qualitative studies and 7 case reports) were selected after a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus and PsycInfo. Their quality was assessed with the Critical Appraisal Tool (CASP) for qualitative studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for case reports. The analysis identified six themes describing the experience of depression among migrant adolescents: (1) the vulnerability factors underlying depressive distress, before, during and after migration; (2) the subjective experience of depression, combining symptoms associated with a form of depression common in the West with symptoms more common in other cultures; (3) two types of aetiological hypotheses to make sense of their distress; (4) attitudes adopted in response to distress; (5) experience of care, especially reasons discouraging investment in care; and (6) impairment of identity construction by breaks in cultural transmission and intergenerational conflicts. The threat of losing their connections both at the interpersonal (connection to family, peers and community) and intrapsychic levels (construction of identity) is inherently linked to migrant adolescents' experience of depression. We propose to adapt Brandenberger's 3C model (communication, continuity of care, and confidence) for the care of young migrants to promote a therapeutic alliance, foster construction of a coherent bicultural identity, and support the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To understand the experiences and vulnerabilities for cross-cultural nursing care for immigrant women during pregnancy and delivery. Method: Exploratory, qualitative research, in the light of the Theory of Diversity and Universality of Cultural Care, in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, through interviews with eight postpartum woman and 18 nurses, between February and September 2022. The interpretation of meanings was adopted for analysis. Results: The categories of analysis emerged: Experiences, vulnerabilities and acculturation of immigrant women during pregnancy and delivery; Cross-cultural care and vulnerabilities experienced by immigrants in Brazilian health services. Vulnerabilities were identified in Cultural and Social Structure Dimensions expressed in access to work, low socioeconomic conditions, lack of family and social support and specific services for this population. The potentialities experienced included good care provided by health services, quality of the multidisciplinary team and appreciation of professional knowledge, however, the understanding of expectations and cultural aspects needs to be deepened. Final considerations: Understand that immigrant women experience situations of vulnerability in pregnancy and childbirth, in the Brazilian context, mainly related to social and programmatic dimensions. However, potentialities were also experienced, evidenced by positive aspects in cross-cultural nursing care in Brazil.

Background: In general, migrants in illegal situations encounter a greater barrier to accessing medical care because of their migration status due to not having the required documentation to be able to obtain insurance in the receiving country. Objective: To evaluate the association between migration status and the use of health services in the Venezuelan population residing in Peru. Methods: Data from the second Survey Directed to the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru (ENPOVE) of 2022 were analyzed. The dependent variable was use of health services in the last month. The exposure variable was migration status (legal/illegal). Generalized linear models of the Poisson family with link log function were used to obtain crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR), for potential confounding variables. Additionally, we evaluated the association of interest, stratified by gender. Findings: Data from 1569 migrants were analyzed. Participants with illegal migration status represented 32.4% (men: 24.3%; women: 36.7%); likewise, 58.1% did not use health services. Illegal migration status was associated with lower health care use (aPR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.61–0.92). Likewise, after stratifying by sex, the association was maintained only in male migrants (aPR: 0.53; 95%CI: 0.39–0.82) but not in women (aPR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.67–1.05). Conclusion: 58.1% of Venezuelan migrants in Peru did not seek medical attention despite having health problems. Having an illegal immigration status leads to a lower probability of using these services, especially in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a prospective cohort study of Latinx adolescents living in an agricultural county in California, we examined perceptions of federal immigration policy and its effects on community and individual wellbeing. From May to December 2017, 565 youth responded to an open-ended item integrated into ongoing surveys. Median age was 14 (range 13–16 years), 53% female, and 94% Latinx. About 12% were immigrants, 71% children of immigrant parents, and 52% had a parent employed in farm work. Most (78%) indicated they directly experienced or observed effects of current federal immigration policies. Adolescents described anti-immigrant sentiment as heightening discrimination, isolation, fear, and mental health changes. They also perceived constraints on future educational and employment opportunities. These findings suggest that the federal immigration policy environment can negatively impact the wellbeing of youth in Latinx communities and that immigration policy should be considered a social determinant of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Latina women are less likely to start prenatal care in the first trimester and to attend the recommended amount of prenatal visits compared to their non-Latina white counterparts. Objectives: This study aimed to assess challenges and facilitators to first-trimester prenatal care (FTPNC) and prenatal care utilization (PNCU) in a Midwestern urban area with a growing immigrant Latino community. Methods: This study used a mixed-method approach based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals that worked in birth centers, clinics, or hospitals that provided prenatal care (PNC) services for Latina women. Eight focus groups and quantitative surveys were conducted with Latina women and their supporters in Kansas City metropolitan area. Results: FTPNC was challenged by women's immigrant status, lack of healthcare coverage due to immigrant status, and complexity of Medicaid application. PNCU was challenged by the cost of PNC when diagnosed with gestational diabetes, lack of healthcare coverage, PNC literacy, late access to gynecologists/obstetricians, inadequate interpretation services, transportation, and mental health distress. Meanwhile, FTPNC was facilitated by social support and connectedness. PNCU was facilitated by Spanish-proficient providers and interpreters, effective nonverbal communication and education techniques, and pregnancy prevention access and education. Conclusions for Practice: Results from this study highlight important targets to improve PNC for Latina women. Participants called for various types of support to address identified challenges, ranging from information on social media about PNC services to broader efforts such as building trust from the community toward PNC providers and making PNC services affordable for women with gestational diabetes. Significance: Minoritized communities have historically low FTPNC and PNCU. However, access and use of PNC may be affected and improved by specific communities' cultural, social, and patient-provider interactions within specific geographical areas. For a primarily immigrant Latino community living in a midwestern metropolitan area, FTPNC and PNCU were challenged by immigration status, lack of healthcare coverage, difficulty completing public healthcare coverage application, cost of PNC when diagnosed with gestational diabetes, PNC literacy, limited access to women's health providers, inadequate interpretation services, transportation, and mental health distress. However, social support, connectedness, appropriate interpretation services, bilingual providers, empathetic nonverbal communication, spoken communication strategies delivered at the provider's office, access to PNC, and pregnancy prevention education were considered facilitators to FTPNC and PNCU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Asian people in the United States have different sociodemographic and health‐related characteristics that might affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by ethnicity and birthplace. However, they are often studied as a monolithic group in health care research. This study aimed to examine heterogeneity in CVD risk factors on the basis of birthplace among the 3 largest Asian subgroups (Chinese, Asian Indian, and Filipino) compared with US‐born non‐Hispanic White (NHW) adults. Methods and Results A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted using the 2010 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey data from 125 008 US‐born and foreign‐born Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, and US‐born NHW adults. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were used to examine the prevalence and prevalence ratios of self‐reported hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, smoking, and overweight/obesity among Asian subgroups compared with US‐born NHW adults. The study included 118 979 US‐born NHW and 6029 Asian adults who self‐identified as Chinese (29%), Asian Indian (33%), and Filipino (38%). Participants' mean (±SD) age was 49±0.1 years, and 53% were females. In an adjusted analysis, foreign‐born Asian Indians had significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity; foreign‐born Chinese had higher prevalence of physical inactivity, and foreign‐born Filipinos had higher prevalence of all 5 CVD risk factors except smoking compared with NHW adults. Conclusions This study revealed significant heterogeneity in the prevalence of CVD risk factors among Asian subgroups by ethnicity and birthplace, stressing the necessity of disaggregating Asian subgroup data. Providers should consider this heterogeneity in CVD risk factors and establish tailored CVD prevention plans for Asian subgroups.

Ethnic disparities in stillbirth exist in Europe and suboptimal care due to miscommunication is one contributing cause. The MAMAACT intervention aimed to reduce ethnic disparity in stillbirth and newborns' health through improved management of pregnancy complications. The intervention encompassed training of antenatal care midwives in cultural competencies and intercultural communication combined with health education materials for the expecting parents about symptoms of pregnancy complications. The evaluation consisted of a qualitative in-depth implementation analysis and a process evaluation embedded in a cluster randomized trial including 19 of 20 maternity wards in Denmark. In this article, the findings from the different evaluation perspectives are integrated. The integration follows the principles of realist evaluation by analyzing to what extent the MAMAACT activities were generating mechanisms of change in interaction with the context. The integration analysis shows that the health education materials in the MAMAACT intervention contributed to heightened health literacy concerning pregnancy complications among pregnant women. Additionally, the training of midwives in cultural competency and intercultural communication raised awareness among midwives. Nonetheless, the exclusive emphasis on midwives and the inflexibility in care provision hindered them from changing their communication practices. To enhance the cultural competence in maternity care, it is essential to implement more comprehensive initiatives involving healthcare professionals in maternity care at all levels, from pregraduate to postgraduate. Adequate interpreter services and management support should also be ensured. Currently, the Danish antenatal care system faces challenges including inadequate information transfer between healthcare sectors, insufficient differentiation of care, and inflexibility in midwife scheduling. This results in a lack of responsiveness to the individual needs of women with immigrant backgrounds, potentially reproducing health inequities.

BackgroundMigrants are a vulnerable population at risk of worse health outcomes due to legal status, language barriers, and socioeconomic and cultural factors. Considering the conflicting literature on the subject, it is important to further explore the extent and nature of these inequalities.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to compare health outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection between Spanish native and migrant population living in Barcelona.MethodsObservational retrospective cohort study including all adult cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection who visited a tertiary hospital in Barcelona between the 1st March 2020 and the 31st March 2022. We established the following five health outcomes: the presence of symptomatology, hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, use of mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital 30-day mortality (IHM). Using Spanish natives as a reference, Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated for migrants by multivariate logistic regression and adjusted by sociodemographic and clinical factors.ResultsOf 11,589 patients (46.8% females), 3,914 were born outside of Spain, although 34.8% of them had legal citizenship. Most migrants were born in the Americas Region (20.3%), followed by other countries in Europe (17.2%). Migrants were younger than natives (median 43 [IQR 33–55] years vs. 65 [49–78] years) and had a higher socioeconomic privation index, less comorbidities, and fewer vaccine doses. Adjusted models showed migrants were more likely to report SARS-CoV-2 symptomatology with an adjusted OR of 1.36 (95%CI 1.20–1.54), and more likely to be hospitalised (OR 1.11 [IC95% 1.00–1.23], p < 0.05), but less likely to experience IHM (OR 0.67 [IC95% 0.47–0.93], p < 0.05).ConclusionCharacteristics of migrant and native population differ greatly, which could be translated into different needs and health priorities. Native population had higher odds of IHM, but migrants were more likely to present to care symptomatic and to be hospitalised. This could suggest disparities in healthcare access for migrant population. More research on health disparities beyond SARS-CoV-2 in migrant populations is necessary to identify gaps in healthcare access and health literacy.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with non-vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the Venezuelan immigrant population residing in Peru. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using data obtained from the Second Survey of the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru in 2022. The dependent variable was vaccination status against COVID-19. The independent variables included socio-demographic, economic, and migratory characteristics of the included population. Crude and adjusted generalized linear Poisson-family models were used to calculate prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 7739 Venezuelan migrants aged 18 years or older were included. The proportion of non-vaccination against COVID-19 was 5.7%. Regarding associated factors, unemployment (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.65) was linked to an increased likelihood of not being vaccinated against COVID-19. In contrast, women (aPR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.95), possessing a migration permit (aPR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.54), and having health insurance (aPR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.81) were associated with a decreased likelihood of being unvaccinated. Conclusions The primary governmental and non-governmental institutions responsible for supporting and protecting the Venezuelan migrant and refugee population should improve vaccination access by issuing migration permits and providing health insurance.

Patients with diabetes must have self-efficacy to perform necessary self-care tasks. Self-efficacy has been considered as one of the primary motivators on diabetes self-care; therefore, it is essential for health care professionals to assess the self-efficacy of patients with diabetes to provide optimal care. Despite older Korean immigrants having greater difficulty in diabetes management, research on self-efficacy for them is lacking. This study aims to examine the psychometric property of the General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version for older Korean immigrants with diabetes in the United States. In this cross-sectional, methodological study, data were collected using convenience sampling. Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the psychometric properties. Cronbach’s alpha for the entire GSE scale Korean version is 0.81. The initial Eigenvalues show two factors, coping and confidence; however, the confirmatory factor analysis showed reasonable goodness of fit to the data (χ2(35) = 86.24, p < 0.01), χ2/df ratio = 2.46, AGFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.91, IFI = 0.90, ECVI = 0.74, CFI = 0.89, and RMSEA = 0.093 in the one-factor model. The General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. It can be used to investigate self-efficacy and to devise culturally tailored diabetes interventions.

Aims: There is a high prevalence of South Asian immigrants in Australia living with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with the dietary management of the condition presenting as a key challenge. However, their current dietary patterns and barriers to diabetes self‐management are unclear. Therefore, this study aims to (i) investigate current dietary patterns and (ii) explore barriers and facilitators to dietary management in this population. Methods: A concurrent mixed‐methods study comprising three 24‐h dietary recalls and a semi‐structured interview for each self‐identified South Asian immigrant adult with diabetes recruited across Victorian primary care clinics and social media to address the aforementioned two aims. Dietary recall data were converted into food groups using Foodworks, and data analysed in SPSS. Qualitative data were thematically analysed using NVivo. Results: Among 18 participants recruited, 14, 16 and 17 participants had grain, fruit and dairy intake lower than daily Australian recommendations, respectively. These findings echoed qualitative data that participants viewed diabetes management as reducing carbohydrate intake. Participants reported difficulties incorporating diabetes‐related dietary and lifestyle recommendations into their routine and a lack of knowledge about available organisational support. They mentioned challenges in receiving social support from families and friends and relied on support from health professionals. Facilitators included proficiency in nutrition information label reading and self‐blood glucose monitoring skills. Conclusion: Enhancing the accessibility to organisational support, facilitating the adaption of dietary recommendations into individuals' routines, and strengthening support from health professionals are essential components in intervention development to improve diabetes management for South Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Turkey is hosting the world's largest immigrant population under temporary and international protection. Due to the social inequalities contributing to early childhood dental caries, the effectiveness of dental care service for immigrant children should be evaluated. Aim: To evaluate the accessibility of immigrant and refugee children residing in four different regions of Turkey to oral health products and dental treatment services. Design: A questionnaire consisting of 21 questions was administered: The first six questions elicited demographic data, and the remaining 15 questions asked about oral health habits, access to oral hygiene materials, and dental treatment services. Participants included the parents of 430 children under the age of 18, who were registered with migrant associations in the regions where they lived (Istanbul, Samsun, Hatay, or Ankara). Results: The majority of the participants were from Syria and Iraq. Of the participants, 42.1% reported that their children's oral hygiene habits had changed negatively after they migrated, 71.9% reported that they had not been to the dentist in the last year, and 82.8% reported that they had not been to the dentist for more than 12 months. Access to oral and dental hygiene products was not difficult for 68.4%. About 62.6%, however, reported that they had difficulty accessing dental treatment. Conclusion: The findings showed that this disadvantaged group had difficulty accessing dental treatment. Therefore, there is a need for national and international health strategies to ensure that immigrant and refugee children have effective access to dental treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the association between Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) discontinuation time and therapeutic failure (TF) in Venezuelan immigrants with HIV that restart HAART. Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study in a large hospital in Peru. We included Venezuelan immigrants who restarted HAART and were followed over at least 6 months. The primary outcome was TF. Secondary outcomes were immunologic (IF), virologic (VF) and clinical (CF) failures. The exposure variable was HAART discontinuation, categorised as no discontinuation, less than 6 months, and 6 months or more. We applied generalised linear models Poisson family with robust standard errors to calculate crude (cRR) and adjusted (aRR) relative risks by statistical and epidemiological criteria. Results: We included 294 patients, 97.2% were males, and the median age was 32 years. Out of all the patients, 32.7% discontinued HAART for less than 6 months, 15.0% discontinued for more than 6 months and the remaining 52.3% did not discontinue. The cumulative incidence of TF was 27.9%, 24.5% in VF, 6.0% in IF and 6.0% in CF. Compared with non‐discontinued HAART patients, the discontinuation for less than 6 months (aRR = 1.98 [95% CI: 1.27–3.09]) and from 6 months to more (aRR = 3.17 [95% CI: 2.02–4.95]) increased the risk of TF. Likewise, treatment discontinuation of up to 6 months (aRR = 2.32 [95% CI: 1.40–3.84]) and from 6 months to more (aRR = 3.93 [95% CI: 2.39–6.45]) increased the risk of VF. Conclusions: HAART discontinuation increases the probability of TF and VF in Venezuelan immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the health literacy and health behaviors of Guinean university students residing in Brazil. Method: A cross-sectional, analytical study conducted with 51 Guinean university students residing in Brazil. A health behavior questionnaire and the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults - Short version were applied. Spearman correlation coefficient, U of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were calculated. Results: Health literacy was adequate (median=79; IQR=24). Reading comprehension (median=70; IQR=16) of health information was better than numerical comprehension (median=14; IQR=14). Better health literacy performance was found in those with daily screen time of 3 to 5 hours (p=0.004) and who consumed fatty meat (p=0.002). Conclusion: Adequate health literacy of Guinean university students was associated with mostly healthy behaviors, except for screen time and consumption of fatty meat.

ObjectiveHealth management of children during early childhood requires substantial information. Multicultural families find it difficult to obtain and use parenting-relevant information for their young children. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a tailored Health parenting program and lay-health workers’ support to improve children’s health in multicultural families in Korea.MethodsIn this study, we employed the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model as the conceptual framework, guiding the creation of a tailored mHealth application supplemented by a lay-health worker support module. The efficacy of the program was assessed through an experimental three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. A total of 101 participants were stratified into three distinct groups as follows: (1) Experimental Group A, which received the mHealth program alongside the lay-health worker support component; (2) Experimental Group B, exposed solely to the mHealth program; and (3) Control Group, devoid of any intervention. Within these groups, 101 marriage migrant women hailing from Vietnam, the Philippines, and China were incorporated, with each group comprising 33, 30, and 38 participants, respectively. The study’s primary endpoint encompassed a comprehensive assessment of health-promoting behaviors, proficiency in eHealth literacy, and the family strength.ResultsThe analysis revealed noteworthy interactions among the three distinct groups over the course of time, with implications for health-promotion behaviors (p = 0.041), eHealth literacy (p = 0.037), and family strength (p = 0.044). Specifically, the experimental groups exhibited substantially elevated levels of the specified outcome variables when contrasted with the control group. Notably, the positive effects persisted even up to 12 weeks subsequent to the conclusion of the intervention, underscoring the program’s capacity to foster enduring improvements in the observed metrics.ConclusionThis study highlights the benefits of offering contextually appropriate information to target groups constrained by challenges in information access, evaluation, and utilization. Notably, drawing from their positive experiences in this process, we underscore the importance of employing lay health workers. These workers play a crucial role in fostering and ensuring sustained behavioral changes.

The objective of this study was to analyze the association between food insecurity and mental health in Venezuelan migrants and refugees residing in Peru using data from the Survey Directed at the Venezuelan Population Residing in the Country (ENPOVE) conducted in 2022. The analysis included 7739 Venezuelan adults. The presence of mental health problems was self-reported, and household food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. The study found that 4 out of 10 participants lived in households with moderate to severe food insecurity, and around 10% reported experiencing some mental health problem in the last month. The study identified a positive association between living in households with moderate to severe food insecurity and having some mental health problem compared to living in households without food insecurity. The findings suggest that food insecurity is a common problem among the Venezuelan migrant population residing in Peru, and measures are required to address this problem and mitigate its consequences on mental health and other health problems. The study highlights the need for international organizations to provide assistance and support to these populations and ensure adequate and sustainable follow-up of food insecurity at the national level. It is also necessary to implement early detection tests for mental health problems in the migrant population, especially in individuals exposed to food insecurity. This study provides relevant evidence for addressing public health in the Venezuelan migrant population residing in Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cervical cancer is a common disease which can be effectively and timely detected by cervical cancer screening. However, access to cervical cancer screening is unequal, and it is known that migrant women have a lower attendance to cervical cancer screening. These inequalities are associated with several factors, including attitudes and beliefs of the women regarding screening practices, which prevents them from participating. This study aims to explore the attitudinal barriers to cervical cancer screening among migrant women in Portugal. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1100 migrant women residing in Portugal. Women were recruited through social media platforms. The survey included items on socioeconomic characteristics, cervical cancer screening history and an 11-item attitudinal questionnaire to assess attitudinal barriers. Logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results The attitudinal barriers to CCS most often reported by participants were fear of the test result (25.3%), worry about seeing a male health professional (23.8%), perceiving the test as painful (23.1%), embarrassment (18.5%), difficulties scheduling the test (14.3%), and having a negative experience in screening (12.4%). Low perceived need in absence of symptoms and lack of motivation to be screened were reported by less than 5% of the women. However, the results suggest that most of the attitudinal barriers with higher agreement percentage have no association with cervical cancer screening attendance. Among all the attitudinal barriers, low perceived need of screening and lack of motivation were associated with CCS non-attendance. Conclusions Based on the findings, out of all the factors analyzed, low perceived need of screening and lack of motivation are the most relevant factors associated with non-attendance among migrants in Portugal. Promoting health literacy and empowering women with knowledge about benefits of screening may help overcoming these barriers. Therefore, this study provides a foundation for stakeholders on which areas should be prioritized when developing strategies aiming to reduced cervical cancer screening non-attendance among migrant women.

Objective. To interrogate the circulating SARS-CoV-2 lin­eages and recombinant variants in persons living in migrant shelters and persons who inject drugs (PWID). Materials and methods. We combined data from two studies with marginalized populations (migrants in shelters and persons who inject drugs) in Tijuana, Mexico. SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified on nasal swabs specimens and compared to publicly available genomes sampled in Mexico and California. Results. All but 2 of the 10 lineages identified were predomi­nantly detected in North and Central America. Discrepan­cies between migrants and PWID can be explained by the temporal emergence and short time span of most of these lineages in the region. Conclusion. The results illustrate the temporo-spatial structure for SARS-CoV-2 lineage dispersal and the potential co-circulation of multiple lineages in high-risk populations with close social contacts. These conditions create the potential for recombination to take place in the California-Baja California border.

BACKGROUND: Migrating to Australia to work as a midwife can be challenging, particularly for those from non-English speaking backgrounds, since they must achieve strict qualification standards, English language skills, and professional competence to be eligible for registration. AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the registration experiences of Middle Eastern-qualified midwives in Australia. METHODS: Multiple case narrative study, underpinned by structuration theory, involving 19 Middle Eastern-qualified midwives from different states of Australia. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between November 2020 and September 2021 and digitally recorded and then transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed in three stages, with categories generated in the second stage and core categories developed in the third. RESULTS: This study found that Middle Eastern-qualified midwives' registration experiences were significantly impacted by evolutions in policies in Australia. The accounts of participants who applied for registration at varying stages suggested the process became more complicated over time. Overall, four categories emerged with varying prominence from the accounts of participants who applied for registration at different times including: language barrier, variation in the process, inadequate orientation, and misdirection. Systemic issues were identified as significant barriers to the registration of Middle Eastern-qualified midwives in Australia. CONCLUSION: With Australia's reliance on internationally qualified midwives, strategies should be developed to identify the language support, appropriate orientation, and regulatory adjustment necessary to reduce the underutilization of Middle Eastern-qualified midwives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with diabetes must have self-efficacy to perform necessary self-care tasks. Self-efficacy has been considered as one of the primary motivators on diabetes self-care; therefore, it is essential for health care professionals to assess the self-efficacy of patients with diabetes to provide optimal care. Despite older Korean immigrants having greater difficulty in diabetes management, research on self-efficacy for them is lacking. This study aims to examine the psychometric property of the General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version for older Korean immigrants with diabetes in the United States. In this cross-sectional, methodological study, data were collected using convenience sampling. Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the psychometric properties. Cronbach's alpha for the entire GSE scale Korean version is 0.81. The initial Eigenvalues show two factors, coping and confidence; however, the confirmatory factor analysis showed reasonable goodness of fit to the data (χ2(35) = 86.24, p < 0.01), χ2/df ratio = 2.46, AGFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.91, IFI = 0.90, ECVI = 0.74, CFI = 0.89, and RMSEA = 0.093 in the one-factor model. The General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. It can be used to investigate self-efficacy and to devise culturally tailored diabetes interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Migrant women face an increased risk of adverse obstetrical outcome and Caesarean section. The psychological experience of Caesarean section combines physiological, social, and cultural dimensions. This qualitative study explores the subjective experiences of first-generation migrant women who gave birth by Caesarean section. Methods: Seven qualitative, semi-directed interviews were conducted from January to March 2022 in a Paris maternity hospital, with women in their postpartum period who had had a scheduled or emergency Caesarean section and straightforward obstetrical outcomes. The presence of an interpreter-mediator was systematically offered. Thematic analysis of the interviews was carried out following the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. Results: Four themes were identified in the thematic analysis relating to the women's experiences of Caesarean section: (1) The shock of the intervention combines disappointment, fear and early separation from the baby, (2) Pregnancy and delivery far from one's family aggravates the psychological suffering caused by isolation and loneliness related to migration, (3) The lack of cultural representations of Caesarean section leads to negative preconceptions and hinders mental preparation, in contrast with traditional or medicalised childbirth, and (4) The women's experiences of the medical follow-up highlights the importance of the continuity of care. Discussion and conclusion: Caesarean section, which is a physical break, re-enacts the symbolic break (cultural, social, familial) that follows on from emigration. Improvements in care include the need for a better preparation for Caesarean section, active efforts for care continuity, and the development of early prevention interviews and groups in maternity units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To provide an overview of published research on migration and health conducted in Norway and identify gaps in the research field. Methods: Applying a scoping review methodology, we searched Medline for articles on migration health in Norway published between 2008 and 2020, and assessed them according to research topic, methodology, user-involvement and characteristics of the populations studied (country or area of origin, type of migrant/immigrant status). Results: Of the 707 articles retrieved, 303 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies (77%) were within the clinical disciplines reproductive health, mental health, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases, or on socio-cultural aspects and the use of healthcare services. One third of the papers (36%) pulled participants from various geographic backgrounds together or did not specify the geographic background. Among those who did so, participants were mostly from The Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Only 14% of the articles specified the type of migrant/immigrant status and those included refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. A total of 80% of the papers used quantitative methods, of which 15 described an intervention; 15 papers (5%) described different types of user-involvement. Conclusions: Our findings suggest gaps in research related to migrant subgroups, such as those from Eastern-Europe and labour and family reunification migrants. Future studies should further investigate the self-identified health needs of different migrant groups, and might also benefit from a methodological shift towards more intervention studies and participatory approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The Norwegian colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme started in May 2022. Inequities in uptake of CRC screening is a concern, and we expect that immigrants are at risk of non-uptake. Immigrants from Poland are the most populous immigrant group in Norway. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore factors that may facilitate Polish immigrants’ access to the Norwegian CRC screening programme. Material and methods This study was based on qualitative interviews with ten Polish immigrants in Norway. The participants represented a convenience sample that varied in terms of gender, education, employment, time in Norway, place of residence, Norwegian language skills and ties to the Norwegian-Polish community. We performed thematic content analysis to understand CRC screening from the perspective of Polish immigrants, using transnationalism and Levesque’s conceptualization of accessibility as theoretical frameworks. Results We grouped our findings into three themes; “understanding of CRC development and the need to access health care”, “binationalism” and “improving accessibility through information”. Within these themes, various factors influenced the participants’ accessibility to CRC screening, namely knowledge about the screening and about causes, development and prevention of the disease, language, choice of screening country, trust in health personnel’s competence, information needs, methods and sources, as well as participants’ perception of the faecal immunochemical test screening user manual. These factors were further influenced by communication between the Polish community in Norway and Poland, as well as travel between the countries. Conclusion We identified several factors that can be targeted with an aim to increase Polish immigrants’ access to the Norwegian CRC screening programme. Effective measures could include increasing cultural competence among health care providers and providing information in Polish through Polish-speaking health care professionals, general practitioners and internet portals used by the Polish-speaking community. Focusing on accessibility in a transnational setting, our findings may be of interest for policy makers and service providers planning preventive health measures for immigrants.

A new concept called complex multimorbidity provides a more reliable measure of disease burden than multimorbidity based on a simple count of diseases, by categorizing diseases according to the body system they affect. This study examined associations between sleep measures and complex multimorbidity among Chinese and Korean Americans in the Baltimore–Washington DC Metropolitan Area, using cross-sectional data (n  = 400) from the Screening to Prevent Colorectal Cancer study (2018–2020). Sleep disturbance was measured using the 8-item Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance scale and sleep apnea risk was assessed using the Berlin questionnaire. Complex multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of 3 or more of body system disorders assessed by self-report of physician-diagnosed diseases. Poisson regression models with adjustments indicated that individuals with sleep disturbance had 2.15 times the prevalence of having complex multimorbidity (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 4.29). Individuals with a high risk of sleep apnea had 1.19 times the prevalence of having complex multimorbidity (95% CI: 0.47, 3.01). These findings suggest a need for interventions to increase awareness of the importance of sleep among health-care providers and the public and to educate them about causes, signs, and treatment of sleep disturbance and sleep apnea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer is a common disease which can be effectively and timely detected by cervical cancer screening. However, access to cervical cancer screening is unequal, and it is known that migrant women have a lower attendance to cervical cancer screening. These inequalities are associated with several factors, including attitudes and beliefs of the women regarding screening practices, which prevents them from participating. This study aims to explore the attitudinal barriers to cervical cancer screening among migrant women in Portugal. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1100 migrant women residing in Portugal. Women were recruited through social media platforms. The survey included items on socioeconomic characteristics, cervical cancer screening history and an 11-item attitudinal questionnaire to assess attitudinal barriers. Logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results: The attitudinal barriers to CCS most often reported by participants were fear of the test result (25.3%), worry about seeing a male health professional (23.8%), perceiving the test as painful (23.1%), embarrassment (18.5%), difficulties scheduling the test (14.3%), and having a negative experience in screening (12.4%). Low perceived need in absence of symptoms and lack of motivation to be screened were reported by less than 5% of the women. However, the results suggest that most of the attitudinal barriers with higher agreement percentage have no association with cervical cancer screening attendance. Among all the attitudinal barriers, low perceived need of screening and lack of motivation were associated with CCS non-attendance. Conclusions: Based on the findings, out of all the factors analyzed, low perceived need of screening and lack of motivation are the most relevant factors associated with non-attendance among migrants in Portugal. Promoting health literacy and empowering women with knowledge about benefits of screening may help overcoming these barriers. Therefore, this study provides a foundation for stakeholders on which areas should be prioritized when developing strategies aiming to reduced cervical cancer screening non-attendance among migrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant women may be at higher risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) and may seek specialized services less frequently than other populations. In Spain, Romanian origin foreigners comprise the second‐highest proportion among immigrant population. This study aimed to identify, from the perspective of experts, (1) the main barriers faced by immigrant women of Romanian origin in accessing specialized services for IPV in Spain; and (2) the most useful strategies to combat these barriers. A Delphi study was conducted with a panel of 23 experts. The coefficient rWG was calculated to established agreement among participants. The results showed 58 barriers and 31 strategies with high agreement among the experts (rWG ≥ 0.80). Barriers in access to services that were considered to be highly influential included: having been in the host country for a short time; lack of language proficiency; job insecurity; difficulty with family‐work reconciliation; and fear of the social consequences for help‐seeking. The strategies considered most useful were: facilitating access to the job market and decent housing; promoting a social support network; translating material into Romanian; and increasing training among professionals. The findings offer guidelines for the improvement of the accessibility of specialized services to immigrant women of Romanian origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To interrogate the circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages and recombinant variants in persons living in migrant shelters and persons who inject drugs (PWID). Materials and methods. We combined data from two studies with marginalized populations (migrants in shelters and persons who inject drugs) in Tijuana, Mexico. SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified on nasal swabs specimens and compared to publicly available genomes sampled in Mexico and California. Results. All but 2 of the 10 lineages identified were predominantly detected in North and Central America. Discrepancies between migrants and PWID can be explained by the temporal emergence and short time span of most of these lineages in the region. Conclusion. The results illustrate the temporo-spatial structure for SARS-CoV-2 lineage dispersal and the potential co-circulation of multiple lineages in high-risk populations with close social contacts. These conditions create the potential for recombination to take place in the California-Baja California border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the impact of migration and acculturation of Turkish men who have sex with men (MSM) to Germany, using data from the European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS-2010), on measures of acculturation including circumcision status, internalized homonegativity (IH), HIV/STI knowledge, sexual orientation, outness, HIV-testing, and sexual behaviors. We compared four groups of MSM: MSM born and residing in Germany who had completed the questionnaire in German (n = 38,915), MSM born and residing in Germany, with a father or mother born in Turkey (n = 97), MSM residing in Germany who were born in Turkey or whose parents were born in Turkey (n = 262), and MSM who were born and residing in Turkey and who completed the questionnaire in Turkish (n = 1,717). Data showed that there were significant dose–response curves between level of migration and several outcome variables. As exposure to Germany increased, MSM had lower IH, higher HIV/STI knowledge, increased outness, and were less likely to be circumcised. There were similar significant findings with regard to sexual HIV risk behavior (condomless anal intercourse with partners of unknown (or sero-discordant) HIV status). Data were consistent with acculturation over generations in immigrant groups in MSM migrating from Turkey to Germany. Integration includes both cultural aspects (circumcision) and integration into a more homopositive gay environment (IH, outness, increased HIV/STI knowledge), and sexual HIV risk behavior. Migration and associated acculturation may constitute a risk change for HIV/STI and mental health issues associated with IH and outness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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IntroductionFood insecurity (FI) is a public health problem affecting many regions of the world. In Venezuela, the political, social and economic situation experienced since 2010 has caused a mass migration of its population to other countries, including Peru, which, in turn, may have limited access to and availability of food leading to a high nutritional burden in this population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and analyze the determinants of FI in the households of Venezuelan immigrants in Peru.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using the “Encuesta Dirigida a la Población Venezolana que Reside en el País” (ENPOVE 2022). The dependent variable was moderate–severe FI (yes/no), which was constructed from an eight-item Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) to measure FI at the household level. Poisson log generalized linear regression models were fitted to assess the association between the independent variables and FI. In addition, the reliability of the FIES as a tool for measuring food insecurity in the target population was determined.ResultsA total of 3,491 households with Venezuelan migrants and refugees were included in the analysis. We found that 39.0% of Venezuelan immigrant households in Peru experienced moderate–severe FI. The determinants of FI included socio-demographic characteristics of the household head, and economic and geographical characteristics of the household. Regarding the FIES, we found that the inclusion of 7 of the 8 items had adequate internal consistency and its items assessed the same latent range.DiscussionThis study highlights the need to identify determinants associated with FI to design strategies that mitigate the consequences of health crises and strengthen regional food systems, making them more sustainable. Although several studies have evaluated the prevalence of FI in Venezuelan migrant populations in other countries, this study is the first to evaluate the determinants of FI in Venezuelan immigrant households in Peru.

ObjectivesMigrant women face an increased risk of adverse obstetrical outcome and Caesarean section. The psychological experience of Caesarean section combines physiological, social, and cultural dimensions. This qualitative study explores the subjective experiences of first-generation migrant women who gave birth by Caesarean section.MethodsSeven qualitative, semi-directed interviews were conducted from January to March 2022 in a Paris maternity hospital, with women in their postpartum period who had had a scheduled or emergency Caesarean section and straightforward obstetrical outcomes. The presence of an interpreter-mediator was systematically offered. Thematic analysis of the interviews was carried out following the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology.ResultsFour themes were identified in the thematic analysis relating to the women’s experiences of Caesarean section: (1) The shock of the intervention combines disappointment, fear and early separation from the baby, (2) Pregnancy and delivery far from one’s family aggravates the psychological suffering caused by isolation and loneliness related to migration, (3) The lack of cultural representations of Caesarean section leads to negative preconceptions and hinders mental preparation, in contrast with traditional or medicalised childbirth, and (4) The women’s experiences of the medical follow-up highlights the importance of the continuity of care.Discussion and conclusionCaesarean section, which is a physical break, re-enacts the symbolic break (cultural, social, familial) that follows on from emigration. Improvements in care include the need for a better preparation for Caesarean section, active efforts for care continuity, and the development of early prevention interviews and groups in maternity units.

Abstract Background Many European studies have shown migrants to be less satisfied with health care and find it less accessible than the general populations. The aim of this study was to compare satisfaction with access to health care between migrants from different regions of origin and the general population of Finland. Methods This study uses data from two comprehensive survey samples on health and wellbeing of the foreign-born and the general population living in Finland. Three aspects of satisfaction with health care access were measured and predicted by region of origin using logistic regression. Results Foreign-born population was slightly more dissatisfied with all aspects of the access to health care as compared to the general population. In all aspects of access, migrants from the Middle East and Africa were least likely to be satisfied. Conclusions As the satisfaction with access was lowest among migrant groups which are likely to have higher needs for at least some health services in comparison to the general population, these results are alarming. More research is needed to identify the potential development points in the health care system of Finland.

Immigrants and refugees have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, it is important to determine the specific factors that are promoting vaccination in the immigrant and refugee populations to develop equitable health services. This study surveys the attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine mandates in the Southeast Asian and Hispanic immigrant and refugee populations in South Philadelphia. A questionnaire was administered to all patients receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during six clinic days from November 15th-31st 2021. Investigators asked participants about their intention behind vaccination, barriers to access, work requirements regarding COVID-19 vaccination, and attitudes toward vaccine mandates. For people receiving their booster vaccine, the most cited reasons for getting vaccinated were protecting their health (75.4%) and travel (11.0%), whereas most people receiving their first or second vaccine were most motivated by vaccine mandates at work (34.6%) and health (30.8%). Staying healthy or “health” was the most common reason for getting vaccinated among people receiving their booster vaccine (74.8%) which was significantly higher than the proportion of people getting their first or second vaccine (30.7%) (p

Objective: To estimate the effects of Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), a policy that provided states the option to extend Medicaid/CHIP eligibility to immigrant children who have not been legal residents for five years or more, on insurance coverage, access, utilization, and health outcomes among immigrant children. Data Sources: Restricted use 2000–2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Study Design: We used a difference‐in‐differences design that compared changes in CHIPRA expansion states to changes in non‐expansion states. Data Collection: Our sample included immigrant children who were born outside the US, aged 0–18 with family income below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Subgroup analyses were conducted across states that did and did not have a similar state‐funded option prior to CHIPRA (state‐funded vs. not state‐funded), by the length of time in the US (5 years vs. 5–14 years), and global region of birth (Latin American vs. Asian countries). Principle Findings: We found that CHIPRA was associated with a significant 6.35 percentage point decrease in uninsured rates (95% CI: −11.25, −1.45) and an 8.1 percentage point increase in public insurance enrollment for immigrant children (95% CI: 1.26, 14.98). However, the effects of CHIPRA became small and statistically not significant 3 years after adoption. Effects on public insurance coverage were significant in states without state‐funded programs prior to CHIPRA (15.50 percentage points; 95% CI:8.05, 22.95) and for children born in Asian countries (12.80 percentage points; 95% CI: 1.04, 24.56). We found no significant changes in health care access and utilization, and health outcomes, overall and across subgroups due to CHIPRA. Conclusions: CHIPRA's eligibility expansion was associated with increases in public insurance coverage for low‐income children, especially in states where CHIPRA represented a new source of coverage versus a substitute for state‐funded coverage. However, we found evidence of crowd‐out in certain subgroups and no effect of CHIPRA on access to care and health. Our results suggest that public coverage may be an important tool for promoting the well‐being of immigrant children but other investments are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Norwegian colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme started in May 2022. Inequities in uptake of CRC screening is a concern, and we expect that immigrants are at risk of non-uptake. Immigrants from Poland are the most populous immigrant group in Norway. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore factors that may facilitate Polish immigrants' access to the Norwegian CRC screening programme.Material and Methods: This study was based on qualitative interviews with ten Polish immigrants in Norway. The participants represented a convenience sample that varied in terms of gender, education, employment, time in Norway, place of residence, Norwegian language skills and ties to the Norwegian-Polish community. We performed thematic content analysis to understand CRC screening from the perspective of Polish immigrants, using transnationalism and Levesque's conceptualization of accessibility as theoretical frameworks.Results: We grouped our findings into three themes; "understanding of CRC development and the need to access health care", "binationalism" and "improving accessibility through information". Within these themes, various factors influenced the participants' accessibility to CRC screening, namely knowledge about the screening and about causes, development and prevention of the disease, language, choice of screening country, trust in health personnel's competence, information needs, methods and sources, as well as participants' perception of the faecal immunochemical test screening user manual. These factors were further influenced by communication between the Polish community in Norway and Poland, as well as travel between the countries.Conclusion: We identified several factors that can be targeted with an aim to increase Polish immigrants' access to the Norwegian CRC screening programme. Effective measures could include increasing cultural competence among health care providers and providing information in Polish through Polish-speaking health care professionals, general practitioners and internet portals used by the Polish-speaking community. Focusing on accessibility in a transnational setting, our findings may be of interest for policy makers and service providers planning preventive health measures for immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding characteristics that impact linkage-to-care (LTC) among individuals living with HBV and/or HCV can enhance public health efforts to provide tailored care services to prevent and treat viral hepatitis among immigrants. Using HBV/HCV screening and LTC data from immigrants (2016–2019), descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess (1) the relationship between LTC and sociodemographic factors and (2) factors associated with HBV/HCV LTC. About 87% of those positive HBsAg had LTC and 52% had LTC among those with HCVAB and confirmed PCR. Access to care was an important LTC predictor for HBV–LTC: those who had neither health insurance nor primary care provider (PCP) were more likely to have HBV–LTC than those who had either health insurance or PCP (aOR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.32–6.59). It is essential to equally provide HBV/HCV LTC support to all immigrants from countries with high prevalence regardless of access to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze the association between food insecurity and mental health in Venezuelan migrants and refugees residing in Peru using data from the Survey Directed at the Venezuelan Population Residing in the Country (ENPOVE) conducted in 2022. The analysis included 7739 Venezuelan adults. The presence of mental health problems was self-reported, and household food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. The study found that 4 out of 10 participants lived in households with moderate to severe food insecurity, and around 10% reported experiencing some mental health problem in the last month. The study identified a positive association between living in households with moderate to severe food insecurity and having some mental health problem compared to living in households without food insecurity. The findings suggest that food insecurity is a common problem among the Venezuelan migrant population residing in Peru, and measures are required to address this problem and mitigate its consequences on mental health and other health problems. The study highlights the need for international organizations to provide assistance and support to these populations and ensure adequate and sustainable follow-up of food insecurity at the national level. It is also necessary to implement early detection tests for mental health problems in the migrant population, especially in individuals exposed to food insecurity. This study provides relevant evidence for addressing public health in the Venezuelan migrant population residing in Peru.

Purpose This study compared infant mortality and its associated factors between Korean and immigrant women using vital statistics gathered by Statistics Korea. Methods Birth and death statistics from the period between 2009 and 2019 were extracted from the census of population dynamics data of the Microdata Integrated Service, Korea. Statistical data were derived from a complete survey and infant mortality was analyzed from mortality statistics data. Descriptive statistics were used for comparison. Results The average infant mortality rate (IMR) of Korean women was 2.7 in Koreawhich, did not change significantly between 2009 and 2019; however, the IMR of immigrant women increased significantly in 2018 to 4.2 and subsequently decreased to 2.6 in 2019. Moreover, the age of Korean and immigrant women at the time of infant death gradually increased from 31.1 years and 25.9 years in 2009 to 32.8 years and 30.9 years in 2019, respectively. The gestational age was lower for deceased infants born to immigrant women (mean, 31.04 weeks; standard deviation [SD], 6.42; median, 30.00 ) compared to those born to Korean women (mean, 31.71 weeks; SD, 6.48; median, 32.00). Immigrant women (91.7%) received slightly fewer antenatal care visits compared to Korean women (93.1%). Conclusion It is vital to devise a plan to lower the IMR of immigrant women in Korea. Moreover, it is necessary to explore the factors related to infant mortality among immigrant women within the context of Korean societal situation, culture, and home environment.

Abstract Background Ethnic minority women from non‐Western countries are less likely than the native women to participate in screening programmes for cervical cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. This social inequality can result in loss of possibility for prevention, delayed diagnosis and treatment and, ultimately, lower chance of survival. Developing a tailored intervention might be the solution to reduce social inequalities in cancer screening, and a key feature in intervention research is to consult the target group. Objective To explore ethnic minority women's own ideas and preferences for a cancer screening intervention and identify their attitudes to different strategies. Methods An interview study with five focus group interviews, two group interviews with an interpreter and three individual interviews. Thirty‐seven women from 10 non‐Western countries contributed to the study. The interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim followed by a thematic analysis. Results According to the women, a tailored intervention should focus on knowledge in the form of face‐to‐face teaching. The women further suggested information material in their own language with a simple, positive and concrete communication strategy. They would like to be involved in an awareness strategy and share the knowledge with their network. Conclusion Ethnic minority women were interested in a tailored intervention, and they were keen to contribute with ideas and preferences. The findings emphasized the potential of a tailored intervention with specific suggestions to the content when attempting to reduce inequality in cancer screening participation. Patient or Public Contribution Minority women were involved in the interview study.

Background: Latinx children in immigrant families have disproportionately high obesity rates; effective obesity treatment for this subset of Latinx children is critically needed. Objectives: To inform the development of weight management interventions we explored: 1) community facilitators and barriers to achieving childhood healthy weight through photovoice; and 2) participant reflections on the photovoice process. Methods: Photovoice was conducted using established methods in a local church. After photovoice, participants completed semi-structured interviews to reflect on their experience. Transcripts were analyzed using a general thematic analysis approach to arrive at preliminary themes, which were presented to participants for validation. Participant input was used to finalize the themes. Results: Six adults and two youth Latinx immigrants identified photograph themes over seven sessions. Four themes emerged regarding community barriers and facilitators to achieving childhood healthy weight: 1) family habits, 2) cultural influences on food, 3) built environment, and 4) food marketing. Participant reflections revealed they were motivated to participate in photovoice to learn more about health, recognized personal growth as a result of group sharing, valued representation as a community, and felt empowered to be role models. Conclusions: Findings from both photovoice and participant reflections reinforced the need for multi-level approaches to treating childhood obesity. Though participant reflections were gathered to inform continued engagement of Latinx families, they ultimately had a significant impact on our conclusions about priority intervention components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrants constitute large proportions of the population in many high-income countries. Knowledge about their perceptions of antibiotics, in comparison to native populations, is limited. We explored these perceptions by organizing nine homogeneous focus group discussions (FGDs) with first-generation immigrant and native Dutch participants (N = 64) from Rotterdam and Utrecht, who were recruited with the assistance of immigrant (community support) organizations. The FGDs were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analyses were performed with the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti, using open and axial coding. We did not find noteworthy differences between immigrants and native Dutch participants; all participants had an overall reluctant attitude towards antibiotics. Within-group differences were larger than between-group differences. In each FGD there were, for instance, participants who adopted an assertive stance in order to receive antibiotics, who had low antibiotic-related knowledge, or who used antibiotics incorrectly. Native Dutch participants expressed similar difficulties as immigrant participants in the communication with their GP, which mainly related to time constraints. Immigrants who encountered language barriers experienced even greater communicational difficulties and reported that they often feel embarrassed and refrain from asking questions. To stimulate more prudent use of antibiotics, more attention is needed for supportive multilingual patient materials. In addition, GPs need to adjust their information, guidance, and communication for the individual's needs, regardless of the patient's migration background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]