Women and Health
Volume 40, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 21-40

Popular health promotion strategies among Chinese and East Indian immigrant women (Article)

Ahmad F.* , Shik A. , Vanza R. , Cheung A. , George U. , Stewart D.E.
  • a Women's Helth Program, University of Health Network, Toronto, Ont., Canada, Inner City Health Research Unit, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ont. M5B 1W8, Canada
  • b Women's Helth Program, University of Health Network, Toronto, Ont., Canada
  • c Women's Helth Program, University of Health Network, Toronto, Ont., Canada
  • d Women's Health Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada
  • e Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada
  • f Women's Health Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada

Abstract

Purpose: To advance understanding about the popular health promotion strategies and factors associated with the successful transfer and uptake of health messages among Chinese and Indian immigrant women. Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted with 46 immigrant women, 22 from Mainland China and 24 from India, who had lived less than 5 years in Canada. Audiotaped data were transcribed, translated and analyzed by identification of themes and subcategories within and between groups. Results: In both ethnic groups, discussions on promoting health messages had five major themes, i.e., sources, barriers, facilitators, credibility and ways to improve access along with group specific sub-themes. Despite identification of several diverse sources of health information in the adopted country, Indian and Chinese immigrant women perceived most strategies as not very effective. The reasons of perceived ineffectiveness were barriers to accessing and comprehending the health messages; and limited prior exposure to institution based or formal health promotion initiatives. These women were more familiar with informal means of obtaining health information such as social networks, mass media and written materials in their mother tongue. Conclusion: Existing health communication and health promotion models need to be re-orientated from a one-way information flow to a two-way dialogue model to bridge the gap between program efficacy and effectiveness to reach underserved immigrant women. An "outside the box" approach of non-institutional informal health promotion strategies needs to be tested for the studied groups. © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Women Immigrant Health promotion focus groups Strategies

Index Keywords

information processing China Communication Barriers immigrant Chinese health promotion India Models, Organizational Indian human Health Behavior access to information middle aged controlled study Aged social support Humans ethnic difference health services research Canada female medical information Women's Health Services Article women's health Questionnaires adult data analysis Emigration and Immigration Patient Acceptance of Health Care Cultural Characteristics Focus Groups mass medium Health Services Accessibility
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-13644253683&doi=10.1300%2fJ013v40n01_02&partnerID=40&md5=543a364192322a1871803c3495c9149a
DOI: 10.1300/J013v40n01_02
ISSN: 03630242
Cited by: 43
Original Language: English