Health-Related Needs and Barriers for Forcibly Displaced Women: A Systematic Review

The number of forcibly displaced people has been steadily increasing over the last decades. Women represent a large proportion of this population. Due to gender roles, duties of care, educational and economic imbalances, their experiences during flight and relocation differ from those of men and children. The currently available information about their specific health-related needs and barriers to access is scarce. We sought to explore the specific needs of the female refugee population employing a user-centered perspective. Rather than focusing on provider-designed interventions, we aimed at defining what female refugees want and need and which priorities they define themselves. We searched PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus to identify publications that explored the unique experiences of female refugees between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2018. Publications needed to address the health needs of refugees, asylum seekers, or displaced individuals, include at least 50% women in their study and employ a user-centered perspective. A framework of themes was identified and applied to all publications. We identified 1945 publications of which 13 could be included in the present review. Twelve of these publications employed qualitative and/or innovative methodology. We identified 5 broad categories of health-related needs (immediate health care, communication, cultural/spiritual, social, and economic). The identified publications described the need for complex, coordinated approaches. Concerted action providing information and culturally sensitive care, while supporting language acquisition and economic empowerment is essential to improve the health status of female refugees. Transformative interventions need to address multiple axes of unequal access for female refugees to improve their overall health.

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Health-related needs and barriers for forcibly displaced women: a systematic review

10.21203/rs.2.11059/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jenny Jesuthasan ◽

Zara Witte ◽

Sabine Oertelt-Prigione

Keyword(s):

Health Care Providers ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Care Providers ◽

Culturally Sensitive Care ◽

Barriers To Access ◽

Innovative Methodology ◽

Health Related ◽

Unequal Access ◽

Available Information ◽

Specific Health

Abstract Introduction Women represent a large proportion of the currently internationally displaced individuals. Due to gender roles, care duty, educational and economic imbalance their experiences and vulnerability during flight and relocation differ from that of men and children. The currently available information about their specific health-related needs and barriers to access is scarce and scattered. Methods We searched PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus to identify publications that explored the unique experiences of female refugees between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2018. Publications needed to address the health needs of refugees, asylum seekers or displaced individuals, include at least 50% women in their study and employ a user-centered perspective, i.e. focus on the perspective of displaced individuals themselves and not health care providers. A framework of themes was identified and applied to all publications. Results We identified 1945 publications of which 13 could be included in the present review. Twelve of these publications employed qualitative and/or innovative methodology (e.g. ethnographies, index cards, photovoice). We identified five broad categories of health-related needs (immediate healthcare, communication, sultural/spiritual, social, economic), which are further detailed. Conclusions A concerted action providing information and culturally-sensitive care, while supporting language acquisition and economic empowerment is essential to improving the health status of female refugees. Transformative interventions need to address multiple axes of unequal access for female refugees to increase participation and overall health.

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Information Therapy (Ix) and Information Prescription

International Journal of User-Driven Healthcare ◽

10.4018/ijudh.2013040102 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 9-19

Author(s):

Vahideh Zarea Gavgani ◽

Farhad Shokraneh

Keyword(s):

Background Information ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Specific Patient ◽

Medical Databases ◽

Health Related ◽

The Cochrane Library ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Trial Evidence ◽

Specific Health

To systematically review the observational and control trial evidence on information prescription and information therapy. The Cochrane Library and the medical databases of MEDLINE (1946 to10 April, 2012), and EMBASE (1974 to10 April, 2012) were searched with Ovid SP. The authors included only those studies that are related to the prescription of specific health information for specific patient as a complementary medicine. Therefore, they excluded the traditional patient education studies that are based on background information rather than being foreground, evidence- based and decision focused. The authors identified 232 papers and based on the criteria 34 full texts were screened and finally 18 were reviewed in this study systematically. Six papers were randomized control trials (RCTs) and 12 were observation studies. Most of the studies focused on satisfaction and knowledge as their primary outcomes. None of the studies examined the side effects of information intervention. Only one study focused on the health related primary outcomes and showed no significant change in pain and bowl movement (BMs) among children. This review found considerable research gaps in the study of information prescription outcomes. There is need for cohort studies and RCTs with rigorous control of confounding factors to figure out the impact of information prescription and information therapy on patient care.

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Explanatory Factors for Disease-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Anorexia Nervosa

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081592 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1592

Author(s):

Laura Al-Dakhiel Winkler ◽

Claire Gudex ◽

Mia Beck Lichtenstein ◽

Michael Ejnar Røder ◽

Carol E. Adair ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Explanatory Factors ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Disease Specific ◽

Specific Health

A better understanding of explanatory factors for disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in anorexia nervosa (AN) could help direct treatment providers to aspects of the most relevance for patient wellbeing and recovery. We aimed to investigate whether factors associated with HRQoL are the same for women with AN and normal-weight controls. The participants in this study were women with AN recruited from specialized eating disorder centers in Denmark and healthy, normal-weight controls invited via online social media. Participants completed online questionnaires on medical history, disease-specific HRQoL (Eating Disorders Quality of Life Scale, EDQLS) and generic HRQoL (SF-36), eating disorder symptomatology, depression, psychological wellbeing, and work and social adjustment. Questionnaires were fully completed by 211 women with AN (median age 21.7 years) and 199 controls (median age 23.9 years). Women with AN had poorer scores on all measures, i.e., worse HRQoL, psychological health, and work/social functioning. Eating disorder symptomatology affected EDQLS score in both groups, but poorer HRQoL in women with AN was also significantly associated with worse scores on bulimia, maturity fears, depression, vitality, and with older age. The factors investigated together explained 79% of the variance in EDQLS score. Management of disordered self-assessment and thought processes may be of particular importance to women with AN. Greater emphasis on these aspects alongside weight gain could enhance patient–clinician alliance and contribute to better treatment outcomes.

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Cultural Adaptation, Translation and Validation of Tuberculosis Specific Health Related Quality of Life Measuring Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Tuberculosis (FACIT-TB) Scale in Sri Lanka

Applied Research in Quality of Life ◽

10.1007/s11482-021-09927-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shilanthi Seneviratne ◽

Samitha Ginige ◽

Sanjeewa Kularatna ◽

Nalika Gunawardena

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Functional Assessment ◽

Cultural Adaptation ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Chronic Illness Therapy ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Translation And Validation ◽

Specific Health

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Quality of Life in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: An Update

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6131

Author(s):

Pavel V. Chernyshov ◽

Andrew Y. Finlay ◽

Lucia Tomas-Aragones ◽

Francoise Poot ◽

Francesca Sampogna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Hidradenitis Suppurativa ◽

Acne Inversa ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Specific Health

Knowledge on hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa (HS) is rapidly increasing. HS has a profound impact on patients and their family life. Several factors, such as comorbidities, unemployment and HS severity, make this impact even more severe. The most widely used instrument to measure this impact is the dermatology-specific DLQI. We also identified six HS-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments. Of them, HIDRAdisk, HSIA, HiSQOL and HSQoL-24 are better validated but there is still lack of experience of its use. Several treatment methods showed positive effect on patients’ HRQoL. Surgery remains a method with a substantial positive effect on HRQoL. Several studies confirming a positive effect of adalimumab on the HRQoL of patients with HS were published during the last three years. Data on the influence of several other biologics on HRQoL of HS patients are controversial or based on studies with a small number of patients.

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