Medical Journal of Australia
Volume 185, Issue 11-12, 2006, Pages 591-593

Community perceptions about infectious disease risk posed by new arrivals: A qualitative study (Article)

Leask J.* , Sheikh-Mohammed M. , McIntyre C.R. , Leask A. , Wood N.J.
  • a University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, National Center for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, National Center for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Health Assessment for Refugee Kids, National Center for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, National Center for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e National Center for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Objective: To report on perceptions about the risk of infectious diseases from new arrivals to Australia arising from a wider study of mothers' attitudes to childhood vaccination. Design, participants and setting: Six focus groups on perceptions about the benefits and risks of vaccination with 37 mothers of children aged 5 weeks to 18 years, mostly conducted in middle-class areas of Sydney between 6 October and 15 December 1999. Main outcome measures: Mothers' views about infectious disease risk posed by immigration as a major reason to favour immunising children. Results: The idea of immigration being the primary source of infectious diseases was striking, and arose among a number of participants in every group conversation. Mothers expressed their dread of new diseases "from overseas", and a sense that there are "more germs nowadays:, mostly from increased immigration to Australia and international travel. Some perceived people coming from other countries as having more disease because of an innate susceptibility or through cultural practices. Conclusion: Recent media coverage about infectious diseases importation by African refugees not only feeds, but reflects, community concerns about new arrivals as a source of allegedly rampant infection threatening Australians. These concerns have little evidence base. Public health advocates need to be proactive with the media to provide sophisticated counter-messages that expose the underlying subtexts and educate the community about the true risks of infectious diseases.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

perception Cultural Diversity health care planning Australia gastroenteritis lung infection Disease Susceptibility human immigration Communicable Diseases Refugees risk assessment travel health belief maternal attitude day care Humans Adolescent female Infant Child, Preschool Risk Factors Africa questionnaire Mothers cultural factor New South Wales patient education Article health care communicable disease adult human experiment migration infection risk child health care normal human Emigration and Immigration ethnicity vaccination attitude to health Focus Groups public health Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33846063944&partnerID=40&md5=c92d3e35be791e24d08332fb23be9338
ISSN: 0025729X
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English