An exploration of health and illness beliefs of Ghanaian migrants

Migration to high income countries (such as the UK) has been found to be associated with declining health. The overall aim of the thesis was to advance our knowledge and understanding about migration, health beliefs and behaviours of Ghanaian migrants living in the UK. The thesis employed two approaches: a systematic review and qualitative methodology utilising interviews with a total of 62 participants. The systematic review explored associations between acculturation and body weight in migrants, examining the role of health behaviours. The two qualitative studies, which yielded two datasets, focused on the experiences of Ghanaian migrants living in the UK and also included Indian migrants and White British and Ghanaian home populations as comparative samples. Findings from the systematic review suggested that migrants may be prone to developing obesity, however factors such as socioeconomic status influences this risk. The review also showed that behaviours and beliefs relating to health may be influenced by culture. From the qualitative studies there were three themes that cut across the findings of this thesis: (i) migrant’s knowledge of their environment and how it affects healthy behaviours, (ii) the lay meaning of health, which is embedded in the migrant’s culture and (iii) social/cultural influences on engagement with healthy behaviours. This thesis provides a starting point in understanding the lay meaning of health that can affect the engagement of healthy behaviours. Different cultures have exhibited different health belief systems and knowledge of these differences is important in the design of effective interventions that will be acceptable to patients of different cultural backgrounds

The latent perception of pregnancy

Background: The main purpose of this study was to describe the latent structure of pregnancy perception by investigating the role of risks and medical examinations in pregnancy perception across the sexes and pregnancy status. Methods: Study 1 developed a questionnaire based on the responses of 29 young adults on their perception of pregnancy. Study 2 consisted of distributing the questionnaire among 290 participants (mean age 29.3; standard deviation = 7.5). Results: The statistical clustering analysis revealed three major clusters of pregnancy perceptions: “evaluative,” “physio-medical,” and “future considerations,” each of them encompassing several meaningful sub-clusters. This structure of pregnancy perceptions supports Beck and Beck-Gernsheim’s modernization approach. Negative emotions toward pregnancy were related to social cognitions, whereas thoughts about risks were included in the medical sub-cluster. After reliability analyses, comparisons of scale scores revealed that women experienced more positive emotions, thought more about physical symptoms and about future issues compared to men (evolutionary explanation was offered). Conclusion: Pregnant participants felt less ambivalence toward pregnancy, thought more about risks and medical examinations and less about parents’ duties than non-pregnant participants

Protocol for a cluster randomised waitlist-controlled trial of a goal-based behaviour change intervention for employees in workplaces enrolled in health and wellbeing initiatives.

Many workplaces offer health and wellbeing initiatives to their staff as recommended by international and national health organisations. Despite their potential, the influence of these initiatives on health behaviour appears limited and evaluations of their effectiveness are rare. In this research, we propose evaluating the effectiveness of an established behaviour change intervention in a new workplace context. The intervention, 'mental contrasting plus implementation intentions', supports staff in achieving their health and wellbeing goals by encouraging them to compare the future with the present and to develop a plan for overcoming anticipated obstacles. We conducted a systematic review that identified only three trials of this intervention in workplaces and all of them were conducted within healthcare organisations. Our research will be the first to evaluate the effectiveness of mental contrasting outside a solely healthcare context. We propose including staff from 60 organisations, 30 in the intervention and 30 in a waitlisted control group. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of how to empower and support staff to improve their health and wellbeing. Trial registration: ISRCTN17828539

Sexual and gender-based violence and social justice: parity of participation for forced migrant survivors in the UK?

This paper examines the extent to which forced migrant survivors of SGBV encounter social justice once resettled in the UK. Nancy Fraser’s parity of participation framework is used to assess whether survivors, as non-citizens, are recipients of social justice. We show how immigration and resettlement policies aimed at forced migrants in the UK undermine rather than reinforce social justice. SGBV against women and children has been documented in countries of asylum and resettlement, and asylum support practice increases the risk that survivors will experience further abuse. A key starting point from which to begin to provide for recovery is ensuring that forced migrant SGBV survivors benefit from social justice

Gender and refugee resettlement: The role of proximal and distal stressors in the experiences of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence

Sandra Pertek - ORCID: 0000-0003-4329-0258 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4329-0258Item is not available in this repository.Migration and indeed forced migration are gendered as are resettlement processes. This chapter examines the gendered nature of refugee integration focusing upon refugee survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The chapter focuses on the impact of violence, from distal events of physical and sexual violence, which happen during conflict and flight, to proximal everyday violence including interpersonal violence in detention, camps and resettlement and finally the structural and symbolic violence associated with gendered asylum processes. We argue that interventions are required to support the integration of refugee women which account for, and address, the multiple forms of violence they face. These include recognising the gendered nature of integration processes and specifically taking account of the state's role as a perpetrator of violence against refugee women.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63347-9_25pubpu

Unpacking COVID-19 and conspiracy theories in the UK Black community

Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Objectives: Conspiracy theories are associated with significant COVID-19 health consequences including lower engagement with protective behaviours. This study uses sensemaking theory, a process of constructing meanings through interpersonal exchanges that enable people to interpret their world to explain the theoretical process underlying the development of conspiratorial beliefs around COVID-19 within Black African and Caribbean communities in the UK. Design: Qualitative, in-depth interviews were used. Methods: Twenty-eight members of the communities were recruited: semi-structured interviews were analysed using grounded theory. Results: Our findings provide an explanation of how an environment of crisis combined with current and historical mistrust, perceived injustice and inequality provided a context in which alternative conspiracy narratives could thrive. The nature of these conspiratorial beliefs made more sense to many of our respondent's than institutional sources (such as the UK Government). Critically, these alternative beliefs helped respondents shape their decision-making, leading to non-engagement with COVID protective behaviours. Conclusions: We conclude that the uncertainty of the pandemic, combined with historical and contemporary perceived injustice and mistrust, and a lack of specific identity-aligned messaging, created a perfect environment for conspiratorial sense-making to thrive. This alternative sensemaking was inconsistent with the health-protection messaging espoused by the Government. To ensure all groups in society are protected, and for health promotion messages to take purchase, the experiences of different target audiences must be taken into account, with sensemaking anchored in lived experience.NIHR/UKRI. Grant Numbers: NIHR COV0143, UKRI MC_PC_20013