Middle Eastern immigrant parents' experiences of child healthcare
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study of Middle Eastern immigrant parents' experiences of child healthcare services in Northern Ireland
IRAS ID
245680
Contact name
Claire Kerr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queens' University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 27 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
The aim of the study is to explore Middle Eastern immigrant parents' experiences of engagement with child health services in Northern Ireland (NI). It is estimated that the immigrant population in the EU now constitutes 10% of the total population; and regionally, 10% of all births in NI each year are from mothers born outside the UK and Ireland. Immigration is a source of emotional stress due to changes in the pattern of family life and the need to adapt rapidly to new cultural norms and systems. Negative effects on psychological and self-esteem well-being and physical health of parents and families have been reported, implicating both a health and social care systems requirements. While asylum seekers and refugees are provided with support and free access to healthcare when they arrive in a new country, those who have immigrated voluntarily may face different challenges accessing healthcare. For this reason this study will focus on people who have voluntary immigrated.This study will interview Middle Eastern immigrant parents (voluntarily immigrated to NI) to explore their experiences of child healthcare services in the province. Twenty families, with children aged less than five years, who have been resident in NI for more than three months but less than five years, will be recruited. Parents of children in receipt of universal healthcare services, as well as children with additional health needs, will be purposively recruited. Interviews will last no more than one hour and will be conducted using a topic guide informed by current literature. Thematic data analysis of the interviews will be completed and resultant themes compiled and reviewed.
Recommendations for local and regional healthcare services will be developed and shared with relevant agencies across the province.Summary of Results
Background: Globally there continues to be an increase in the number of voluntary and non-voluntary migrants. In 2019, the UK records show that 3.1 million visas were issued to immigrants for various purposes including study, work, family unification and a range of other reasons (Migration Statistics, 2020). Against this background, there has been limited study of voluntary immigrant parents’ experiences of child healthcare services in Northern Ireland.Aim of the Study: The aim of the study is to explore the experiences of immigrant parents in relation to their engagement with child healthcare services and specifically to understand Middle Eastern voluntary immigrant parents’ experiences of child healthcare services in Northern Ireland.
Method: First, a systematic review of the literature on voluntary immigrant parents’ experiences was undertaken. Second, a qualitative study exploring Middle Eastern parents’ experiences was carried out in Northern Ireland. Purposive sampling was used to recruit voluntary immigrant parents from the Middle East (n=28). The recruited parents were interviewed using a semi-structured interview method between March and August 2019. Inductive thematic analysis of the interview data was carried out using the model of Braun and Clark (2006). Deductive analysis of the data was undertaken using the Immigrant Health Service Utilization theoretical model devised by Yang and Hwang (2016). NVivo 11 software was used for data management.
Results: The thematic synthesis identified three principal themes: navigation, trust and balance. The results of the qualitative study showed that immigrant parents experienced difficulties while attending child healthcare services. These barriers were systematic and were related to the context of immigration and factors outside parents’ control and involved governmental requirements and the healthcare system, such as language and cultural barriers and unfamiliarity with healthcare services which impaired access to child healthcare services for immigrant parents. Most of the participants reported positive experiences with the healthcare system resulting from parents’ and healthcare professionals’ communication and interaction, successful navigation and reaching a balance within the new and unfamiliar healthcare service.
Conclusion: This study adds an understanding of Middle Eastern voluntary immigrant parents’ experiences of child healthcare services in Northern Ireland. Overall, the findings show that voluntary Middle Eastern immigrant parents were satisfied with the healthcare services in Northern Ireland. Even so, most of the participants had experienced difficulties with the registration process when they encountered it for the first time. This problem was compounded by language and cultural barriers for several of the participants. It is recommended that proper support and guidance with the initial registration process should be provided and that culturally competent healthcare services will enhance voluntary immigrant parents’ future access and outcomes.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
19/NI/0003
Date of REC Opinion
7 Feb 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion