Perceived Health Issues: A perspective from East-African immigrants

Authors

  • M. P-L Shipp Walden University
  • S. A. Francis
  • K. R. Fluegge The Ohio State University, School of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics.
  • S. A. Asfaw Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), Columbus Ohio

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/hcs.2014.113

Keywords:

Somali, Ethiopians, Community leaders, health issues, Ohio

Abstract

This Study explores Somali and Ethiopian community leaders’ perceptions about health issues in their communities and the barriers to access and utilization of primary health care services.

Fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted with community leaders and thematic analysis was used to analyze interviews.

Participants identified chronic diseases, the unhealthy behaviors associated with them, and mental health as major health issues. Infectious diseases were secondarily mentioned as important health concerns. Lack of insurance and limited understanding of the health system were viewed as barriers to utilizing health care services. Other identified needs were: better education within immigrant communities about major health issues, enhanced cultural awareness of health care providers, improved health care access, and assistance with the acculturation process.

Recommendations to improve the communities’ health status included enhancing providers' cultural competence, educating immigrants about major health issues, and increasing mental health care access.

Author Biographies

M. P-L Shipp, Walden University


Michèle Shipp MD, MPH,  is a contributing faculty at Walden University College of Sciences and her classes focus on sociocultural and environmental factors related to public health.

 

Dr.Shipp has received training in family medicine and preventive medicine and holds a master’s degree in public health with emphasis on tropical diseases and a doctor in public health with emphasis in international health. She has developed and managed grants and projects nationally and abroad. Dr. Shipp worked at the University of Alabama a Birmingham’s Division of Preventive Medicine, first as a post-doctoral trainee funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), then as a NCI research fellow and finally as a research assistant professor. In 2004, Dr. Shipp joined the Ohio State College of Public Health as a research assistant professor in the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion. Dr. Shipp’s interest is the study of major social, cultural and behavioral factors associated with racial/ethnic disparities in health, and in developing effective community-based interventions to help reduce those disparities. Dr. Shipp is also interested in global health issues and specifically infectious diseases and women’s health issues around the world. She has published about her research about hypertension in Haiti, health disparities particularly in cancer among minorities in the US, the role of socioeconomic status and race on health disparities and she has taught and presented on global health issues and health disparities.

Dr. Shipp is the principal investigator for this research and has been intricately involved in all aspects of this manuscript.

 

S. A. Francis

Shelley Francis has over thirteen years of experience working in the public health field. Dr. Francis has substantial experience developing and leading original research activities both through academic and private venues and has secured both extramural and intramural grants and contracts via the National Institute of Health (NIH), academic, and private organizations. In addition to her domestic public health experience, Dr. Francis also has extensive global health experience having conducted research in Guyana, South America, Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, and Harare, Zimbabwe. Dr. Francis is currently a co-investigator on a project based in Harare, Zimbabwe that seeks 1) to assess the psycho-social and environmental factors associated with engaging in abrasive vaginal practices and 2) adapt and pilot test an intervention that seeks to reduce and/or cease abrasive vaginal practices. She has written extensively on global health, chronic disease and HIV prevention, health disparities, and maternal and child health. Dr. Francis played a significant role in developing and editing the manuscript.

K. R. Fluegge, The Ohio State University, School of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics.

Karl Fluegge is currently a doctoral candidate in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University. His research interests are the intersection of behavioral economics with public health. His current focus is on the study of tuberculosis (TB). He has worked in Ethiopia and published on TB control in that country. He also has interest in the acculturation aspect as applied to immigrant health and the effects of culture on acculturation. In 2011, Mr. Fluegge created a program entitled “Breaking the Cultural Barrier: Ethiopian Collaborative on Improving Nutrition and Health” with Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), which was a community garden and education effort facilitated as a service-learning initiative by students at Ohio State University. The intent was to enhance the health of immigrants in Central Ohio through behavior change and knowledge generation with regard to nutrition and disease prevention. Kyle contributed significantly to the development and review of the manuscript.

S. A. Asfaw, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), Columbus Ohio

Seleshi Ayalew Asfaw, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Service (ETSS), has a Doctorate of Medicine from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and a Masters in Public Health Methodology, Education, and Behavioral Sciences from the Public Health School in Brussels, Belgium. He practiced medicine and eventually served as the Executive Director of Gondar Regional Health Department through the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia before seeking asylum in Belgium in 1996 as Ethiopia was in crisis of civil war and human right violations. Eventually he immigrated to Columbus, Ohio in 1997 where he worked with Jewish Family Services and ECDI for five years directing IDA and the Microenterprise programs funded by ORR for refugees aimed at building assets in immigrant founded small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

 

He has helped to found a number of community-based organizations tackling public health, educational and economic development issues in Central Ohio. President and Founder of the Refugee Immigrant Chamber of Commerce-CDC; Founding Member of fountain of Life Foundation; Founding member of the Federation of African Organizations in Ohio, a community based advocacy organization focusing to bring all legally registered African Organization in the state of Ohio; and founder and Executive Director of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services organization, a community based organization serving New Americans in Central Ohio. Currently he is serving on the Board of Directors of Anny Sherry Foundation, and the African Federation, Inc (AFI), a national African advocacy organization.

 

He is successful in fundraising for over 5 million in both public and private funding since 2005 to support refugees and immigrants in Columbus. Designed and implemented ETSS Adult and Youth refugee programs. He has a good appreciation of the challenges and opportunities facing new immigrants and is passionate about providing services to assist with the transition to life in the United States. He and his organization received appreciation and service recognition form the Mayer’s office, City Council and the Governor’s Office.

Dr. Asfaw has been involved in the conceptual development of the project, has significantly assisted in the recruitment of participants, provided resources for translation and interpretation and participated in the development of the manuscript.

 

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Published

2014-05-19

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2014): Cultural Realities To Health

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Articles

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