Are visible minorities “invisible” in Canadian health data and research? A scoping review

Patient-Perceived Patient-Centeredness During Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES

Although patient-centeredness is a pinnacle in high-quality healthcare, there is a lack of research measuring patient-centeredness from the perspective of the patient in the context of perinatal care. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) measure patient-perceived patient-centeredness from pregnant people receiving prenatal care in Nova Scotia, and (2) explore potential correlates of patient-perceived patient-centeredness.

METHODS

Participants completed an e-survey through REDCap software. Questions comprised of the Patient-Perceived Patient-Centeredness (Revised) (PPPC-R) questionnaire and demographic questions. The PPPC-R total score was calculated. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the sample, and inferential statistics were conducted. Linear regression analysis was used to determine how the independent variables predicted the PPPC-R total score.

RESULTS

A total of 98 patients participated in the survey to completion. The mean PPPC-R total score was 62.2 (SD 10.5), equivalent to a score of 3.45/4. No significant correlates of the PPPC-R total score were identified; however, trends were observed related to age, parity, Body mass index, race/ethnicity, and education.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants in our study rated their clinicians' patient-centeredness very highly. There was no significant difference in PPPC-R score among pregnant people based on the independent variables we collected.

Inequities in Mental Health Care Facing Racialized Immigrant Older Adults With Mental Disorders Despite Universal Coverage: A Population-Based Study in Canada

OBJECTIVES

Contemporary immigration scholarship has typically treated immigrants with diverse racial backgrounds as a monolithic population. Knowledge gaps remain in understanding how racial and nativity inequities in mental health care intersect and unfold in midlife and old age. This study aims to examine the joint impact of race, migration, and old age in shaping mental health treatment.

METHODS

Pooled data were obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2015-2018) and restricted to respondents (aged ≥45 years) with mood or anxiety disorders (n = 9,099). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate associations between race-migration nexus and past-year mental health consultations (MHC). Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was applied to identify intersecting determinants of MHC.

RESULTS

Compared to Canadian-born Whites, racialized immigrants had greater mental health needs: poor/fair self-rated mental health (odds ratio [OR] = 2.23, 99% confidence interval [CI]: 1.67-2.99), perceived life stressful (OR = 1.49, 99% CI: 1.14-1.95), psychiatric comorbidity (OR = 1.42, 99% CI: 1.06-1.89), and unmet needs for care (OR = 2.02, 99% CI: 1.36-3.02); in sharp contrast, they were less likely to access mental health services across most indicators: overall past-year MHC (OR = 0.54, 99% CI: 0.41-0.71) and consultations with family doctors (OR = 0.67, 99% CI: 0.50-0.89), psychologists (OR = 0.54, 99% CI: 0.33-0.87), and social workers (OR = 0.37, 99% CI: 0.21-0.65), with the exception of psychiatrist visits (p = .324). The CART algorithm identifies three groups at risk of MHC service underuse: racialized immigrants aged ≥55 years, immigrants without high school diplomas, and linguistic minorities who were home renters.

DISCUSSION

To safeguard health care equity for medically underserved communities in Canada, multisectoral efforts need to guarantee culturally responsive mental health care, multilingual services, and affordable housing for racialized immigrant older adults with mental disorders.

Development of an adolescent advisory group to inform sexual and reproductive health research for first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents in Canada: A community-based participatory action research study

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing evidence supporting the benefit of engaging adolescents in research, the active engagement of immigrant adolescents in research is limited. Further, when exploring the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of immigrant adolescents, utilization of adolescent advisory groups is finite. This study aimed to train and evaluate engagement of an adolescent advisory group (AAG) to inform SRH needs of immigrant adolescents in Canada.

METHODS

Using purposive sampling, 13 AAG members were recruited into this study. Members were trained in content related to SRH needs of adolescents and various research methodologies such as conducting a scoping review and qualitative interviews with adolescent participants. After 10 months of member engagement, their experiences were evaluated to identify areas of success and areas for improvement. These data were collected using the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool, which consisted of a Likert survey and open-ended questions, and analyzed in accordance to the Patient Engagement in Research (PEIR) framework.

FINDINGS

Ten members completed the evaluation survey. Likert survey responses were primarily positive. Majority of members showed positive demonstrations regarding various components of the PEIR framework, including contributions, support, research environment, and feeling valued.

CONCLUSION

Findings illustrated that immigrant AAGs are constructive to informing SRH research. Not only can research teams benefit, but members are also empowered. This study provided the foundation for future immigrant adolescent engagement in research and knowledge translation, and effective means of evaluating engagement by utilizing the PEIR framework.

Understanding racialised older adults' experiences of the Canadian healthcare system, and codesigning solutions: protocol for a qualitative study in nine languages

INTRODUCTION

Racialised immigrant older adults (RIOAs) in Canada have poorer self-rated health and are more likely to report chronic conditions, while they concurrently experience well-documented challenges in navigating and accessing the healthcare system. There is strong evidence that patient and caregiver engagement in their healthcare leads to improved management of chronic disease and better health outcomes. International research suggests that engagement has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve quality of care. We aim to (1) describe what role(s) RIOAs are/are not taking in their own healthcare, from the perspectives of participant groups (RIOAs, caregivers and healthcare providers (HCPs)); and (2) develop a codesign process with these participants, creating linguistically aligned and culturally aligned tools, resources or solutions to support patient engagement with RIOAs.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Using a cross-cultural participatory action research approach, our work will consist of three phases: phase 1, strengthen existing partnerships with RIOAs and appropriate agencies and cultural associations; phase 2, on receipt of informed consent, in-depth interviews with RIOAs and caregivers (n=~45) and HCPs (n=~10), professionally interpreted as needed. Phase 3, work with participants, in multiple interpreted sessions, to codesign culturally sensitive and linguistically sensitive/aligned patient engagement tools. We will conduct this research in the Waterloo-Wellington region of Ontario, in Arabic, Bangla, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu, plus English. Data will be transcribed, cleaned and entered into NVivo V.12, the software that will support team-based analysis. Analysis will include coding, theming and interpreting the data, and, preparing narrative descriptions that summarise each language group and each participant group (older adults, caregivers and HCPs), and illustrate themes.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics clearance was obtained through the University of Waterloo Office of Research Ethics (ORE #43297). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations and translated summary reports for our partners and participants.

When a Child Dies: Racialized Father's Experiences of Objectification During Hospital Care

Understanding the meaning of loss for racialized immigrant fathers and addressing their experiences in a culturally competent manner is important in an increasingly ethnoculturally diverse country like Canada. Culture, customs and rituals influence fathers' grief and culture impacts how individuals discuss death and dying as well as how they perceive the death of a child. This article is part of a qualitative research project, which examined the experiences of racialized immigrant fathers who experienced the death of a child. Guided by Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory, the methodological aim was to develop a theoretical framework grounded in fathers' experiences of child death within the hospital setting. Findings suggest that for racialized immigrant fathers their migration experience compounds their losses in unexpected ways and that experiences of objectification or 'othering' in hospital and by health care staff were significant.

Systemic and Individual Factors That Shape Mental Health Service Usage Among Visible Minority Immigrants and Refugees in Canada: A Scoping Review

There exists considerable research which reports that mental health disparities persist among visible minority immigrants and refugees within Canada. Accessing mental health care services becomes a concern which contributes to this, as visible minority migrants are regarded as an at-risk group that are clinically underserved. Thus, the purpose of this review is to explore the following research question: "what are the barriers and facilitators for accessing mental health care services among visible immigrants and refugees in Canada?". A scoping review following guidelines proposed by Arksey and O'Malley (International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8(1): 19-32, 2005) was conducted. A total of 45 articles published from 2000 to 2020 were selected through the review process, and data from the retrieved articles was thematically analyzed. Wide range of barriers and facilitators were identified at both the systemic and individual levels. Unique differences rooted within landing and legal statuses were also highlighted within the findings to provide nuance amongst immigrants and refugees. With the main layered identity of being a considered a visible minority, this yielded unique challenges patterned by other identities and statuses. The interplay of structural issues rooted in Canadian health policies and immigration laws coupled with individual factors produce complex barriers and facilitators when seeking mental health services. Through employing a combined and multifaceted approach which address the identified factors, the findings also provide suggestions for mental health care providers, resettlement agencies, policy recommendations, and future directions for research are discussed as actionable points of departure.

Difficulties accessing health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: examining the intersectionality between immigrant status and visible minority status

BACKGROUND

Difficulties accessing health care services can result in delaying in seeking and obtaining treatment. Although these difficulties are disproportionately experienced among vulnerable groups, we know very little about how the intersectionality of realities experienced by immigrants and visible minorities can impact their access to health care services since the pandemic.

METHODS

Using Statistics Canada's Crowdsourcing Data: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians-Experiences of Discrimination, we combine two variables (i.e., immigrant status and visible minority status) to create a new variable called visible minority immigrant status. This multiplicative approach is commonly used in intersectionality research, which allows us to explore disadvantages experienced by minorities with multiplicative identities.

RESULTS

Main results show that, compared to white native-born, visible minority immigrants are less likely to report difficulties accessing non-emergency surgical care (OR = 0.55, p < 0.001), non-emergency diagnostic test (OR = 0.74, p < 0.01), dental care (OR = 0.71, p < 0.001), mental health care (OR = 0.77, p < 0.05), and making an appointment for rehabilitative care (OR = 0.56, p < 0.001) but more likely to report difficulties accessing emergency services/urgent care (OR = 1.46, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that there is a dynamic interplay of factors operating at multiple levels to shape the impact of COVID-19 related needs to be addressed through changes in social policies, which can tackle unique struggles faced by visible minority immigrants.

A Qualitative Exploration of Immigrant Muslim Older Adults' Experiences and Perceptions of Physical Activity

Physical activity is essential for healthy aging; however, there has been little exploration of physical activity in Muslim older immigrants in Canada. Over one million Canadians identify as Muslim, the majority is first-generation immigrants, with increasing cohorts entering older age. A community-based participatory research project on healthy aging was conducted with 68 older adults and community members from South Asian, Arab, and African Muslim ethnocultural communities in a Canadian urban center. A combination of individual interviews and focus groups discussions were completed, followed by thematic analysis of data. Participating community groups emphasized the importance of physical activity in older age and prioritized the need for physical activity programs. The four themes highlight Muslim older immigrants' perspectives on physical activity in Canada: (a) values and approaches to staying active; (b) health factors: pain and health limitations; (c) social factors: culture, religion, and belonging; and (d) environmental factors: safety and accessibility.

Ethnic density of regions and psychiatric disorders among ethnic minority individuals

BACKGROUND

Ethnic minorities form an increasingly large proportion of Canada's population. Living in areas of greater ethnic density may help protect mental health among ethnic minorities through psychosocial pathways such as accessibility to culturally appropriate provision of mental health care, less discrimination and a greater sense of belonging. Mood and anxiety disorders are common psychiatric disorders.

AIM

This study examined whether ethnic density of regions was related to mood and anxiety disorders among ethnic minorities in Canada.

METHOD

Responses by ethnic minority individuals to the 2011-2014 administrations of the Canadian Community Health Survey ( n =  33,201) were linked to health region ethnic density data. Multilevel logistic regression was employed to model the odds of having mood and/or anxiety disorders associated with increasing region-level ethnic density and to examine whether sense of community belonging helped explain variance in such associations. Analyses were adjusted for individual-level demographic factors as well as region-level socio-economic factors.

RESULTS

Higher ethnic density related to lower odds of mood and/or anxiety disorders for Canadian-born (but not foreign-born) ethnic minorities. Sense of community belonging did not help explain such associations, but independently related to lower odds of mood and/or anxiety disorders. These findings remained after adjusting for regional population density and after excluding (rural/remote) regions of very low ethnic density.

CONCLUSION

Ethnic density of regions in Canada may be an important protective factor against mental illness among Canadian-born ethnic minorities. It is important to better understand how, and for which specific ethno-cultural groups, ethnic density may influence mental health.