Addressing Health Disparities Among Migrants in High-Income Countries: Using Sociocultural Beliefs and Norms as Resources
摘要
Migrants in high-income countries often face significant health disparities when compared to the host population. These disparities are the result of multiple interconnected factors, including barriers to healthcare access, cultural and linguistic differences, socioeconomic status, health literacy, and existing health and non-health-related policies. Moreover, migrants in high-income countries may frequently encounter cultural discrepancies between their traditional health beliefs and practices and the healthcare systems of their host countries. These discrepancies can lead to misunderstandings and resistance to mainstream medical services, as traditional beliefs and practices may not align with the protocols and treatments offered by conventional healthcare systems, and this may contribute to the adverse health outcomes migrant communities in high-income countries experience. Addressing these health disparities requires comprehensive strategies, one of which is making the health systems in high-income countries more diverse and inclusive of traditional health beliefs and practices of migrant communities. This chapter’s main argument is on making the health systems in high-income countries more inclusive of migrants’ cultural belief systems as a strategy for improving their engagement with health services thereby promoting their health and well-being.