Health behaviour in the face of cultural conflict: perceptions of immigrant Muslim women
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 17 August 2017
Issue publication date: 21 September 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe immigrant Muslim women’s perceived barriers and facilitators to health behaviours relating to the interface between the cultural backgrounds of the participants and the predominant culture in Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach was taken to conduct ten in-depth semi-structured interviews followed by three focus groups with immigrant women in Winnipeg, Canada. A demographic questionnaire, acculturation scale, and interview guides were used for data collection. Constant comparison analytic method was utilised to extract and refine themes.
Findings
A total of 32 adult Muslim women who had emigrated from 14 countries in Asia and Africa participated in this study. Most of the participants had medium to high levels of acculturation and enculturation. Through the in-depth analysis of the participants’ insights, these factors emerged as determinants of health behaviours related to cultural interactions: changes in gender role, mistrusting the unfamiliar, feelings of alienation, new construction of time, and reconstruction of private and public spheres. These themes display the participants’ conceptual and practical adaptations in Canada.
Research limitations/implications
The perspectives of those with poor spoken English language skill and the participants’ history of immigration were not obtained in this study limiting the study’s findings.
Practical implications
This paper reveals factors that potentially influence immigrant Muslim women’s health behaviours and should be considered when designing health promotion programs for similar groups.
Originality/value
This is the first paper focusing on cultural determinants of immigrant Muslim women’s health behaviour in a non-metropolitan Canadian city. Findings can help health promoters design culturally competent programs for this growing population to garner its greater participation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the participants for sharing their perspectives. The authors would also like to thank Arlene Elliott and Nasrin Sepehri for providing crucial assistance in recruiting participants and the University of Manitoba, Manitoba Islamic Association, and Winnipeg Central Mosque for permitting the use of their facilities free of charge for conducting the focus groups. All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Board (REB) at the University of Manitoba.
Informed consent: informed consent was obtained from all study participants prior to data collection. A letter of information was also given and explained to the study participants.
Citation
Sabir, G., Sevenhuysen, G.P., Fieldhouse, P. and Roger, K.S. (2017), "Health behaviour in the face of cultural conflict: perceptions of immigrant Muslim women", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 334-345. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-11-2015-0042
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited