scholarly journals Gender-Based Expectations and their Effect on Mental Health Amongst Black African Immigrant Young Men Living in Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
Omolola Olawo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Service Utilization ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Interpretive Description ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Speaking Out ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Immigrant Men

Black African immigrant men’s mental health is relatively understudied. This article is part of a larger study that explored the perceptions of mental health amongst African immigrant youth living in Canada. Using an interpretive description methodology, underpinned by an intersectional and critical lens, this article addresses racial, societal, and cultural expectations that could have an effect on Black African immigrant men’s mental health. Eight men and women who self-identified as Black African immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 participated in the overall study, while five participants contributed the data for this article. Masculinity as a determinant of health, the resilience of African men, and the intersections of identity and vulnerability are discussed. It is concluded that the stigma surrounding Black African men speaking out about their mental health warrants a deeper examination in relation to their mental health outcomes. Areas of further inquiry include exploring mental health service utilization amongst Black African immigrant men.

scholarly journals African Immigrant Health: Prostate Cancer Attitudes, Perceptions, and Barriers

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 155798832094546
Author(s):  
Nipher Malika ◽  
Oyinkansola Ogundimu ◽  
Lisa Roberts ◽  
Qais Alemi ◽  
Carlos Casiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Planning Development ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Prostate Health ◽  
Immigrant Men

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Black men who present with higher incidence, mortality, and survival compared to other racial groups. African immigrant men, however, are underrepresented in PCa research and thus this research sought to address that gap. This study applied a social determinants of health framework to understand the knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral tendencies regarding PCa in African immigrants. African immigrant men and women residing in different parts of the country (California, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Florida) from various faith-based organizations, African community groups, and social groups were recruited to participate in key informant interviews ( n = 10) and two focus groups ( n = 23). Four themes were identified in this study: (a) PCa knowledge and attitudes—while knowledge is very limited, perceptions about prostate health are very strong; (b) culture and gender identity strongly influence African health beliefs; (c) preservation of manhood; and (d) psychosocial stressors (e.g., financial, racial, immigration, lack of community, and negative perceptions of invasiveness of screening) are factors that play a major role in the overall health of African immigrant men. The results of this qualitative study unveiled perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of PCa among African immigrants that should inform the planning, development, and implementation of preventive programs to promote men’s health and PCa awareness.

Abstract P291: Similar Over-Reporting of Physical Activity among African Immigrant Men and Women: The Africans in America Study

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Aldana ◽  
Caroline Thoreson ◽  
Michelle Duong ◽  
Madia Ricks ◽  
Amber Courville ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
The Us ◽  
Quantitative Examination ◽  
Activity Survey ◽  
Immigrant Men

Levels of physical activity (PA), an important risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, may decline in Africans after immigration and it is unknown whether PA type differs by sex. To determine PA profile and perceived activity in African immigrants, we examined PA type and intensity using the self-report Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Typical Week Physical Activity Survey (TWPAS). Physical activity levels were defined as time spent in total and moderate-vigorous PA in 80 African immigrants living in the DC metro area, who self-identified as healthy (66% male; age 39.1±9.4y (mean±SD), range 22-58y; BMI 28.2±4.4 kg/m 2 , range 19.7-41.2). Total and moderate-vigorous PA were 1952.1±1759.6 and 717.6±840.3 min•wk -1 , respectively and did not vary by sex, P=0.9 (Fig 1). Men and women reported spending equal amounts of time in each moderate-vigorous PA category (household, occupational, childcare, intentional and volunteer, P=0.7). Ninety-five percent of Africans reported meeting moderate-vigorous PA guidelines > 150 min•wk -1 (Fig 1A). However, 10% of Africans reported more total PA than there are minutes in a week (Fig 1B) and 1/3 reported excessive weekly moderate-vigorous PA (total >5hr•dy -1 and intentional > 2 hr•dy -1 ). In the 26 Africans with >5 hr•dy -1 of total moderate-vigorous PA, those with an annual income of ≥$30,000 reported greater levels of moderate-vigorous PA than those with an income <$30,000, 4866.8±1646.3 vs. 3558.7±769.9, respectively (P=0.01). Moderate-vigorous PA levels did not vary in this group by African birth region, education, years in the US or percent weight gain since immigration (P>0.3). Self-reported PA profiles were similar among African immigrant men and women, but were over-reported by at least 10% of respondents. Over-reporting may be more common in Africans of higher socioeconomic status. The MESA TWPAS questionnaire provides insight into PA profiles in African immigrants, but is suboptimal for quantitative examination of PA levels.

scholarly journals Mental Health Issues in Adolescents and Young Adult African Immigrants

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tolu Olupona ◽  
Oluwole Jegede ◽  
Clarety Keseke ◽  
Evaristo Akerele
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
The United States ◽  
African Immigrant

African Immigrants in the United States account for a rapidly growing population of immigrants in the country, constituting about four percent of the foreign-born population. The group has seen a significant population increase from 881,300 in 2010 to 1,606,914 in 2010. African immigrants are however not a monolithic population, as this number and diversity increases, there continues to be a growing need for mental health professionals to assess the peculiar mental health care needs and practices of this population. The primary African immigrant groups in the United States include Nigerians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, Ghanaians, and Kenyans. The delivery of optimal mental health care to this population involves a thorough comprehension of factors that influence mental health in African Immigrant populations. Such factors include the ethno-cultural background of families, the diversity of religions, immigration status, socio-economic status, language, family and sibling subsystems, identity issues and various forms of mental health stigma. Due to the complexity of these socioeconomic and cultural nuances, the mental illness presented by adolescents and young adult Africans are often atypical and their treatment requires appropriate cultural competence by physicians and mental health professionals. 

scholarly journals SEARCHING FOR THEORETICAL AGENCY: TOWARDS A BLACK AFRICAN IMMIGRANT STANDPOINT EPISTEMOLOGY

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
BERTRAND TCHOUMI
Keyword(s):  
African Immigrants ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Standpoint Epistemology ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Major Section ◽  
The Many ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

This article describes the theoretical construction of a Black African Immigrant Standpoint Epistemology (BAISE). BAISE is an emerging system of thought that seeks and locates the souls of Black African immigrants, re-centers their conceptions of knowledge, and describes their theory of action. Such an epistemology is critical as a tool for Black African immigrants to more effectively express their theoretical agency and construct an alternative form of knowledge that accounts for the totality of their experiences and their social realities. The article first describes the key tenets of several conceptual frameworks that have been appropriated and reconfigured to provide the conceptual foundations of BAISE. These core components are interwoven together to capture the complexity of the experiences and the realities of Black African immigrants and create a tapestry of concepts and knowledges providing the epistemological context for BAISE. Among the many coeval and complementary theories of knowledge available, theories that focus on agency and the construction of realities, on the valorization of previously discredited and discounted epistemological alternatives, as well as on the deconstruction of the positionality of Black African immigrants on the racialized checkerboard and on the re-centering of the marginalized and oppressed lives have seeded the emergence of BAISE. The second major section of this article presents the initial theoretical development of BAISE. The conceptualization process describes how the marginalized status of Black African immigrants shapes their identities and perspectives on the world.

scholarly journals The Influence of Race on Employment Status and Earnings of African Immigrant Men in the United States

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanyi K. Djamba ◽  
Sitawa R. Kimuna
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
The Us ◽  
Queue Theory ◽  
Labor Queue ◽  
Immigrant Men

This paper uses the labor queue theory to examine the changing influence of race on the employment status and earnings of African immigrant men in the United States between 1980 and 2008. The results show that the white advantage echoed in previous research has diminished. Black African immigrant men's chance of being employed is now greater than that of their white counterparts when their sociodemographic characteristics are taken into consideration. However, when human capital factors are included in the regression models, white African immigrant men still maintain a significant advantage in earnings. This study also uncovered differential impacts of marriage and school enrollment on white and black African immigrant men's employment and earnings. These results challenge the use of labor queue theory as a framework for explaining immigrants' experience in the US job market.

SEARCHING FOR THEORETICAL AGENCY: TOWARDS A BLACK AFRICAN IMMIGRANT STANDPOINT EPISTEMOLOGY

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
BERTRAND TCHOUMI
Keyword(s):  
African Immigrants ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Standpoint Epistemology ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Major Section ◽  
The Many ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

This article describes the theoretical construction of a Black African Immigrant Standpoint Epistemology (BAISE). BAISE is an emerging system of thought that seeks and locates the souls of Black African immigrants, re-centers their conceptions of knowledge, and describes their theory of action. Such an epistemology is critical as a tool for Black African immigrants to more effectively express their theoretical agency and construct an alternative form of knowledge that accounts for the totality of their experiences and their social realities. The article first describes the key tenets of several conceptual frameworks that have been appropriated and reconfigured to provide the conceptual foundations of BAISE. These core components are interwoven together to capture the complexity of the experiences and the realities of Black African immigrants and create a tapestry of concepts and knowledges providing the epistemological context for BAISE. Among the many coeval and complementary theories of knowledge available, theories that focus on agency and the construction of realities, on the valorization of previously discredited and discounted epistemological alternatives, as well as on the deconstruction of the positionality of Black African immigrants on the racialized checkerboard and on the re-centering of the marginalized and oppressed lives have seeded the emergence of BAISE. The second major section of this article presents the initial theoretical development of BAISE. The conceptualization process describes how the marginalized status of Black African immigrants shapes their identities and perspectives on the world.

scholarly journals “They Wait until the Disease Has Taking over You and the Doctors Cannot Do Anything about It”: Qualitative Insights from Harambee! 2.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12706
Author(s):  
Shukri A. Hassan ◽  
Farah Mohamed ◽  
Najma Sheikh ◽  
Guiomar Basualdo ◽  
Nahom A. Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Preventive Health Care ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Immigrant Experiences ◽  
Preventative Healthcare

African immigrants make up a large subgroup of Black/African-Americans in the US. However, because African immigrant groups are typically categorized as “Black,” little is known about their preventative healthcare needs. Differences in culture, life and healthcare experiences between African immigrant populations and US-born people may influence preventive health care uptake. Thus, policymakers and healthcare providers lack information needed to make informed decisions around preventive care for African immigrants. This formative study was conducted among the largest East African immigrant communities in King County, WA. We recruited religious leaders, community leaders, health professionals, and lay community members to participate in thirty key informant interviews and five focus group discussions (n = 72 total), to better understand preventative healthcare attitudes in these communities. Through inductive coding and thematic analysis, we identified factors that impact preventative healthcare attitudes of the Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant communities and deter them from accessing and utilizing healthcare. Cultural beliefs and attitudes around preventative healthcare, mistrust of westernized healthcare, religious beliefs/views, intersecting identities and shared immigrant experiences all influence how participants view preventative healthcare. Our results suggest that interventions that address these factors are needed to most effectively increase uptake of preventative healthcare in African immigrant communities.

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