IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i9p3320-d356195.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Access to Healthcare for Immigrant Children in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Bukola Salami

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada)

  • Alleson Mason

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada)

  • Jordana Salma

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada)

  • Sophie Yohani

    (Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5, Canada)

  • Maryam Amin

    (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada)

  • Philomena Okeke-Ihejirika

    (Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada)

  • Tehseen Ladha

    (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada)

Abstract

Immigrants experience poorer health outcomes than nonimmigrants in Canada for several reasons. A central contributing factor to poor health outcomes for immigrants is access to healthcare. Previous research on access to healthcare for immigrants has largely focused on the experience of immigrant adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate how immigrants access health services for their children in Alberta, Canada. Our study involved a descriptive qualitative design. Upon receiving ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, we invited immigrant parents to participate in this study. We interviewed 50 immigrant parents, including 17 fathers and 33 mothers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the themes that emerged. Findings reveal that systemic barriers contributed to challenges in accessing healthcare for immigrant children. Participants identified several of these barriers—namely, system barriers, language and cultural barriers, relationship with health professionals, and financial barriers. These barriers can be addressed by policymakers and service providers by strengthening the diversity of the workforce, addressing income as a social determinant of health, and improving access to language interpretation services.

Suggested Citation

  • Bukola Salami & Alleson Mason & Jordana Salma & Sophie Yohani & Maryam Amin & Philomena Okeke-Ihejirika & Tehseen Ladha, 2020. "Access to Healthcare for Immigrant Children in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:9:p:3320-:d:356195
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3320/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3320/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lum, Irene D. & Swartz, Rebecca H. & Kwan, Matthew Y.W., 2016. "Accessibility and use of primary healthcare for immigrants living in the Niagara Region," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 73-79.
    2. Lasser, K.E. & Himmelstein, D.U. & Woolhandler, S., 2006. "Access to care, health status, and health disparities in the United States and Canada: Results of a Cross-National Population Based Survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(7), pages 1300-1307.
    3. Emmanuel Ngwakongnwi & Brenda R. Hemmelgarn & Richard Musto & Hude Quan & Kathryn M. King-Shier, 2012. "Experiences of French Speaking Immigrants and Non-immigrants Accessing Health Care Services in a Large Canadian City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Rishworth & Tiffany Cao & Ashika Niraula & Kathi Wilson, 2022. "Health Care Use and Barriers to Care for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases (CID) among First and Second Generation South Asian Immigrant Children and Parents in Ontario Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Rana Dahlan & Babak Bohlouli & Humam Saltaji & Ida Kornerup & Bukola Salami & Maryam Amin, 2022. "Immigrant Parents’ Perceived Social Support and Their Children’s Oral Health Behaviors and Caries Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-12, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bishnu Bahadur Bajgain & Kalpana Thapa Bajgain & Sujan Badal & Fariba Aghajafari & Jeanette Jackson & Maria-Jose Santana, 2020. "Patient-Reported Experiences in Accessing Primary Healthcare among Immigrant Population in Canada: A Rapid Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Marco Marozzi & Mario Bolzan, 2018. "An Index of Household Accessibility to Basic Services: A Study of Italian Regions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 1237-1250, April.
    3. Duncan Gillespie & Meredith Trotter & Shripad Tuljapurkar, 2014. "Divergence in Age Patterns of Mortality Change Drives International Divergence in Lifespan Inequality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(3), pages 1003-1017, June.
    4. Li, Chuanyao & Wang, Junren, 2022. "A hierarchical two-step floating catchment area analysis for high-tier hospital accessibility in an urban agglomeration region," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    5. Lori J. Curtis & William J. MacMinn, 2008. "Health Care Utilization in Canada: Twenty-five Years of Evidence," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 34(1), pages 65-88, March.
    6. Laia Palència & Albert Espelt & Maica Rodríguez-Sanz & Katia B. Rocha & M. Isabel Pasarín & Carme Borrell, 2013. "Trends in social class inequalities in the use of health care services within the Spanish National Health System, 1993–2006," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(2), pages 211-219, April.
    7. Prus, Steven G., 2011. "Comparing social determinants of self-rated health across the United States and Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 50-59, July.
    8. Singhal, Sonica & Correa, Rejane & Quiñonez, Carlos, 2013. "The impact of dental treatment on employment outcomes: A systematic review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 88-96.
    9. Susan Averett & Laura Argys & Julia Sorkin, 2013. "In sickness and in health: an examination of relationship status and health using data from the Canadian National Public Health Survey," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 599-633, December.
    10. Lee, Sang-Yi & Kim, Chul-Woung & Kang, Jeong-Hee & Seo, Nam-Kyu, 2015. "Unmet healthcare needs depending on employment status," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(7), pages 899-906.
    11. Jung In Kim & Devini Manouri Senaratna & Jacobo Ruza & Calvin Kam & Sandy Ng, 2015. "Feasibility Study on an Evidence-Based Decision-Support System for Hospital Site Selection for an Aging Population," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-15, March.
    12. G. Trohel & V. Bertaud-Gounot & M. Soler & P. Chauvin & Olivier Grimaud, 2016. "Socio-Economic determinants of the need for dental care in adults," Post-Print hal-01372359, HAL.
    13. Hugh Armstrong & Wallace Clement & Zhiqiu Lin & Steven Prus, 2006. "Contrasting Inequalities: Comparing Correlates of Health in Canada and the United States," Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers 167, McMaster University.
    14. Siddiqi, Arjumand & Zuberi, Daniyal & Nguyen, Quynh C., 2009. "The role of health insurance in explaining immigrant versus non-immigrant disparities in access to health care: Comparing the United States to Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1452-1459, November.
    15. Lumme, Sonja & Sund, Reijo & Leyland, Alastair H. & Keskimäki, Ilmo, 2012. "Socioeconomic equity in amenable mortality in Finland 1992–2008," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(5), pages 905-913.
    16. Tobias Schiffler & Ali Kapan & Alina Gansterer & Thomas Pass & Lisa Lehner & Alejandro Gil-Salmeron & Daragh T. McDermott & Igor Grabovac, 2023. "Characteristics and Effectiveness of Co-Designed Mental Health Interventions in Primary Care for People Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, January.
    17. Sumedha Arya & Pamela Wilton & David Page & Laurence Boma-Fischer & Georgina Floros & Katie N Dainty & Rochelle Winikoff & Michelle Sholzberg, 2020. "Healthcare provider perspectives on inequities in access to care for patients with inherited bleeding disorders," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-10, February.
    18. Devlin, Rose Anne & Sarma, Sisira & Zhang, Qi, 2011. "The role of supplemental coverage in a universal health insurance system: Some Canadian evidence," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 81-90, April.
    19. Gilda Trohel & Valérie Bertaud-Gounot & Marion Soler & Pierre Chauvin & Olivier Grimaud, 2016. "Socio-Economic Determinants of the Need for Dental Care in Adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-11, July.
    20. Ybarra, Marci & Ha, Yoonsook & Chang, Jina, 2017. "Health insurance coverage and routine health care use among children by family immigration status," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 97-106.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:9:p:3320-:d:356195. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.