DUGi

Reducing health inequities affecting immigrant women: a qualitative study of their available assets

http://dugi.udg.edu/item/http:@@@@hdl.handle.net@@2072@@282364

Background: Immigrant women often experience health inequities, whether for reasons of gender, country of origin,or socioeconomic status. The view of immigrant women has always focussed on their needs, without taking into accounttheir available assets. A salutogenic approach incorporating an assets analysis could provide a new perspective on thedesign of health promotion interventions to reduce health inequities. The study objective was to identify the assets ofthis group of women as a necessary first step in changing the paradigm used in such health promotion interventions.Methods: This qualitative study combined focus groups, in-depth interviews, and a photovoice session. The aim was todescribe the assets of this group, based on Antonovsky’s salutogenic approach and assets model. Qualitative results wereinterpreted with a phenomenological focus, identifying each individual’s internal, community, and institutional assets.Results: The self awareness of skills was linked to a person’s description of herself as being optimistic, having religiousbeliefs, and having motivations and objectives in life, for herself, her family or her children. Being motivated helped thewomen to persist in doing or learning things that could be useful in confronting difficult situations. Another selfawarenessskill was feeling useful to others, whether this was due to religious beliefs about their role in life or to the importance of themutual support of interpersonal relationships.Conclusions: High optimism, strong capacity for struggle and self-initiative, the importance of religious beliefs, socialsupport, and concern for their children’s future were described as assets of immigrant women.Identification of these assets allows us to develop more in-depth knowledge and better tools for health promotionprograms and policies intended to reduce health inequities in this population of immigrant women

BioMed Central