1. Breaking the barriers: The impact of health information and cultural factors on immigrant health in the Nordic countries.
- Author
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Ahmadinia, Hamed
- Subjects
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HEALTH Belief Model , *HEALTH behavior , *HEALTH of immigrants , *SOCIOCULTURAL factors , *SCIENTIFIC literature , *STRUCTURAL equation modeling , *INFORMATION science - Abstract
Immigrants encounter cultural adaptation challenges impacting their health behaviors and outcomes, with health information and cultural factors influencing their actions. A survey of 340 participants from Finland, Norway, and Sweden was conducted, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results show that health beliefs and access to health information, mainly via the Internet, significantly predict immigrants' intentions to engage in health-related actions, while perceived barriers negatively affect their adoption of healthy behavior. The findings underscore the importance of information professionals in providing culturally relevant health information and resources to immigrants and emphasize the need for policymakers to consider cultural factors and information sources in health promotion efforts targeting immigrant populations. This study adds value to the information science literature by highlighting the role of information access and cultural context in shaping health-related actions among immigrants in Nordic countries. • Integration of health belief, cultural psychology, and information-seeking in understanding immigrant health behavior. • Culturally adopted and tech-based solutions are key to delivering health information to immigrants effectively. • Health beliefs and information access significantly predict immigrants' health-related intentions in Nordic countries. • Internet is the primary source of health information for immigrants, highlighting its importance in shaping health actions. • Tailored interventions, considering demographic factors, are crucial in promoting health behaviors among immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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