Separation and loss through immigration of African Caribbean women to the UK

The “strong Black woman” (SBW) is a Western cultural stereotype that depicts African-heritage women as strong, self-reliant, independent, yet nurturing and self-sacrificing. US research indicates that this stereotype negatively impacts the emotional wellbeing of African-heritage women, while also allowing them to survive in a racist society. UK research has documented the significance of this stereotype in relation to African Caribbean women’s experience of depression around the time of childbirth and “attachment separation and loss”. However, research is yet to explore how UK African Caribbean women make sense of and negotiate the SBW stereotype in relation to their emotional wellbeing more broadly. Using five focus groups, with a total of 18 women, this research explored how these women experienced and managed emotional distress in relation to the SBW stereotype. The importance of “being strong” consistently underpinned the participants’ narratives. However, this requirement for strength often negatively impacted their ability to cope effectively with their distress, leading them to manage it in ways that did little to alleviate it and sometimes increased it. This study offers important implications for understanding the experiences of emotional distress for UK African Caribbean women.

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“There is always something missing inside …”: A response to Elaine Arnold's paperSeparation and loss through immigration of African Caribbean women to the UK

Attachment & Human Development ◽

10.1080/14616730600791783 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 175-178

Author(s):

Kate White

Keyword(s):

Caribbean Women ◽

African Caribbean ◽

The Uk

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Vitamin D and Health Status of British African-Caribbean Women

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct04179370 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Health Status ◽

Caribbean Women ◽

African Caribbean

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University students’ understanding and perceptions of schizophrenia in the UK: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025813 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e025813

Author(s):

Charlotte Cadge ◽

Charlotte Connor ◽

Sheila Greenfield

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

University Students ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Health Campaigns ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

African Caribbean ◽

Lay Understanding ◽

The Uk ◽

The University

ObjectiveTo explore lay understanding and perceptions of schizophrenia in university students.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis.SettingThe University of Birmingham, West Midlands.Participants20 UK home students of white British (n=5), Indian (n=5), Pakistani (n=5), African Caribbean (n=4) and dual white British and African Caribbean ethnicity (n=1).ResultsFindings revealed a lack of knowledge about schizophrenia, particularly the negative symptoms that were not mentioned. There were mixed ideas on the causes and sources of available help for schizophrenia; however, positively many said they would consult their general practitioner. While there was a general misconception among the students that schizophrenia caused multiple personalities and was a dangerous illness, there were some differences in perceptions and understanding between ethnic groups, with more Indian students perceiving upbringing as a causal factor in the development of the illness and more Pakistani students perceiving possession by a spirit as a cause.ConclusionsThe university students interviewed lacked knowledge about schizophrenia and stigma was widespread, both of which may delay help-seeking. Public health campaigns educating young people about schizophrenia are required to improve early identification and intervention and improve outcomes. Further research exploring ways to effectively tackle stigma is also required.

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African-Caribbean Women Interrogating Diaspora/Post-Diaspora

10.4324/9781003155560 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Suzanne Scafe ◽

Leith Dunn

Keyword(s):

Caribbean Women ◽

African Caribbean

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The Use of Dietary Supplements Among African and Caribbean Women Living in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12030847 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 847

Author(s):

Amanda Rodrigues Amorim Adegboye ◽

Omorogieva Ojo ◽

Gulshanara Begum

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Dietary Supplements ◽

Dietary Supplement ◽

High Cholesterol ◽

Black African ◽

Supplement Use ◽

Caribbean Women ◽

Black Caribbean ◽

Dietary Supplement Use ◽

The Uk

Previous studies have shown that the use of dietary supplements is associated with the prevention of birth defects, negative pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular diseases. However, there might be some ethnic disparities in supplement usage suggesting that women who could benefit from it are not frequent users. This study aimed to characterise the use of dietary supplement among Black African and Black Caribbean women living in the United Kingdom (UK). Furthermore, it evaluated possible associations between the use of dietary supplements and health and diet awareness. A total of 262 women self-ascribed as Black African and Black Caribbean living in the UK completed a comprehensive questionnaire on socio-demographic factors, diet, use of supplements and cultural factors. The main outcome variable was the regular use of any type of dietary supplement. Use of vitamin D and/or calcium was also explored. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was applied to identify predictors of regular use of dietary supplements. A total of 33.2% of women reported regular use of any dietary supplements and 16.8% reported use of vitamin D and/or calcium. There were no significant ethnic differences in the use of dietary supplements. Reporting use of the back of food packaging label (odds ratio (OR) 2.21; 95% CI 1.07–4.55); a self-rated healthy diet (OR 2.86; 95% CI 1.19–6.91) and having cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension and/or high cholesterol (OR 3.81; 95% CI 1.53–9.49) increased the likelihood of using any dietary supplement. However, having poorer awareness decreased the likelihood (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.88–0.99) of using any dietary supplement. For the use of vitamin D and/or calcium supplements, the main predictor was having CVD, hypertension and/or high cholesterol (OR 4.43; 95% CI 1.90–10.35). The prevalence of dietary supplement use was low among African and Caribbean women. Thus, awareness of potential benefits of some dietary supplements (e.g., vitamin D) among the Black population should be promoted.

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