Recent Immigrant Women Research Articles

A Qualitative Assessment of Factors in the Uptake of Midwifery Among Diverse Populations in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Introduction: Although the uptake of midwifery in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is above the provincial average, it is well below the World Health Organization–suggested level. Midwifery is especially underutilized by Indigenous women and by recent immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women. Objective: To explore factors shaping birth-attendant choices and decisions of diverse women in northwestern Ontario. Methods: Drawing on data from a larger pilot study, this paper discusses factors in choosing midwifery for Indigenous, Euro-Canadian, and visible-minority (VM) women in Thunder Bay. Using in-depth interviews, we explored where the women obtained information regarding birth-attendant options, how and why they chose their caregiver, and their perceptions of the quality of their maternal care experiences. Results: Participating women’s birth-attendant choices and experiences were influenced by (1) health care provider and/or social network awareness of (and attitudes towards) midwifery; (2) personal knowledge; (3) access to midwifery; and (4) understanding of the pregnancy as being on a medical risk continuum or as a normal, healthy process. Additional influences for VM women include a lack of formally educated midwives and social status gained through having a physician in their country of origin. Additional influences for Indigenous women were the effects of colonization, discrimination, and racism. Conclusion: Women (particularly VM and Indigenous women), their families, and health care providers in northwestern Ontario need more and easier access to midwives and to knowledge about their services and scope of practice. Also, increased focus on antiracist and culturally safe practice in health care provider curricula would help improve care for Indigenous women. This article has been peer reviewed.

Multifaceted precarity: pandemic experiences of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected those who face historical and ongoing marginalization. In centering pandemic experience of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector in Canada, we examine how their precarious work translated to experiences of work precarity and wellbeing. This paper illuminates how pre-existing and ongoing marginalization are reproduced during a health crisis for those at the intersection of gender, race, migration, and labour inequities. Using semi-structured interviews and systematic analysis using the Work Precarity Framework, we found that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic marginalization and resulted in unique experiences of work precarity. The latter was experienced as precarity of work (unpredictable work hours and job or employment insecurity), precarity from work (inadequate incomes), and precarity at work (physical, psychological, and relational unsafety). Work precarity stood out as a social determinant of health in relation to its outcome of degraded mental health and wellbeing. Recognizing the role of policies in producing, reproducing, and distributing precarity, we recommend policy directions to reduce social inequities in pandemic recovery.

Traditional postpartum rituals among immigrant and non-immigrant Chinese women.

Due to cultural and systemic factors, Chinese-Canadians tend to use mental health services less or when mental health problems are more severe. Services need to be more culturally responsive in their treatment of mental illness. Around important life events, when there may be heightened vulnerability to mental illness, this is especially important. In this study, postpartum cultural practices were examined among recent immigrant, longer-term immigrant, and Canadian-born Chinese women. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 493 women in Toronto, Ontario, with livebirths in 2011-2014. Participants completed a demographic survey and Postpartum Rituals Questionnaire. Most women (82.2%) practiced at least one postpartum ritual. Younger age (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87-0.99) and greater participation in the heritage culture (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.02-1.61) were associated with ritual practice. From among five types of postpartum rituals identified (i.e., avoidance of homeostatic disturbances, dietary practices, wind avoidance, organized support, and cold avoidance), dietary practices were most commonly undertaken and cold avoidance was least commonly undertaken. There were differences in postpartum ritual patterns by immigration status, with immigrant women being more likely to undertake a greater number of rituals, to attribute these rituals to Chinese culture, and to ascribe health benefits to these rituals and being less likely to feel forced into performing these rituals. Our findings underscore the importance of clinicians becoming more aware of Chinese postpartum rituals to provide women with culturally competent and patient-centered care.

Regionalization and Recent Immigrants’ Access to Jobs: An Analysis of Commuting in Canadian Metropolitan Areas

Examining the transportation modes used to commute by the growing numbers of immigrants locating in medium and small metropolitan areas, this study investigates the social geographies of mobility inequality, the uneven distribution of transportation burdens and benefits. Using microdata from the 2016 Census of Canada, we compare immigrants’ propensity to commute by car, transit, and active modes (cycling and walking) among large, medium, and small metropolitan areas and we analyze the varying determinants of commuting mode in each context. In every metropolitan context, recent immigrants are more likely than established immigrants and the Canadian-born to commute on transit or by active modes. Although recent immigrants’ use of public transportation declines from large to medium and small metropolitan areas, social differentials in reliance on public transportation persist. Women, workers who are not married, people who identify as non-White and non-Aboriginal and workers who do not have dependent children use transit and active modes more than other workers. Recent immigrant women’s reliance on alternative modes is striking in metropolitan areas of all sizes. The findings indicate that policies encouraging immigrants to settle in medium and small metropolitan areas should also include investments in public transportation and pedestrian-friendly environments to reduce mobility inequality and enhance equitable access to employment.

Immigrant status, gender and work disability duration: findings from a linked, retrospective cohort of workers’ compensation and immigration data from British Columbia, Canada

ObjectivesTo compare differences in work disability durations of immigrant men and women injured at work to comparable Canadian-born injured workers in British Columbia, Canada.MethodsData on accepted workers compensation claims and...

Parity and Psychosocial Risk Factors Increase the Risk of Depression During Pregnancy Among Recent Immigrant Women in Canada.

Prior investigations have examined risk factors associated to postpartum depression in immigrant women, but depression during pregnancy has received less attention. This study describes the prevalence and early determinants of antenatal depression among recent (≤ 5years) and long-term immigrants (> 5years), compared to Canadian-born women. 503 women completed standardized self-report questionnaires measuring sociodemographics and psychosocial factors. Multivariate logistic regressions identified first trimester risk factors for depression in each immigrant group. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was highest for recent immigrant (25.3-30.8%) compared to long-term immigrant (16.9-19.2%) and Canadian-born women (11.7-13.8%). Among recent immigrants, multiparity, higher stress and pregnancy-specific anxiety in early pregnancy increased the risk of antenatal depression. Among long-term immigrants, stress in the first trimester was significantly associated with antenatal depressive symptoms. Knowledge of modifiable risk factors (pregnancy-specific anxiety and stress) may help improve antenatal screening and inform the development of tailored interventions to meet the mental health needs of immigrant women during the perinatal period.

Canadian Refugee Women Are at Increased Risk of Postpartum Depression: How Can We Help?

Refugee women in Canada are at increased risk of postpartum depression (PPD) compared with Canadian-born women. Physicians specializing in women's health are in a unique position to intervene with refugee women experiencing PPD. Although there are common contributors to the development of PPD in both Canadian-born and refugee women, refugee women face a number of additional barriers to treatment. These can include factors unique to the refugee experience (e.g., family separation, uncertainty regarding legal status, social mores of the new country) as well as social determinants of health (e.g., poverty, language barriers, barriers to accessing health care). Some authors have argued that all recent immigrant women who are pregnant should be considered at risk for developing PPD and have stressed the importance of early intervention with this group. This commentary argues that effective strategies to address the needs of women refugees who are pregnant focus on the following areas: early identification of women at risk, advocacy efforts, and mitigation of broader relevant social factors (e.g., food insecurity, poverty, lack of social supports). In addition to these strategies, more research is needed to identify how factors interact to increase the risk of PDD in women refugees and to identify factors that protect against the development of PPD in this group.

Depression in middle and older adulthood: the role of immigration, nutrition, and other determinants of health in the Canadian longitudinal study on aging

BackgroundLittle is known about depression in middle-aged and older Canadians and how it is affected by health determinants, particularly immigrant status. This study examined depression and socio-economic, health, immigration and nutrition-related factors in older adults.MethodsUsing weighted comprehensive cohort data from the baseline Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (n = 27,162) of adults aged 45–85, gender-specific binary logistic regression was conducted with the cross-sectional data using the following variables: 1) Depression (outcome) measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression (CESD-10) rating scale; 2) Immigration status: native-born, recent and mid-term (< 20 years), and long-term immigrants (≥20 years); and 3) covariates: socioeconomic status, physical health (e.g., multi-morbidity), health behavior (e.g., substance use), over-nutrition (e.g., anthropometrics), under-nutrition (e.g., nutrition risk), and dietary intake.ResultsThe sample respondents were mainly Canadian-born (82.6%), women (50.6%), 56–65 years (58.9%), earning between C$50,000–99,999 (33.2%), and in a relationship (69.4%). When compared to Canadian-born residents, recent, mid-term (< 20 years), and longer-term (≥ 20 years) immigrant women were more likely to report depression and this relationship was robust to adjustments for 32 covariates (adjusted ORs = 1.19, 2.54, respectively, p < 0.001). For women, not completing secondary school (OR = 1.23, p < 0.05), stage 1 hypertension (OR = 1.31, p < 0.001), chronic pain (OR = 1.79, p < 0.001), low fruit/vegetable intakes (OR = 1.33, p < 0.05), and fruit juice (OR = 1.80, p < 0.001), chocolate (ORs = 1.15–1.66, p’s < 0.05), or salty snack (OR = 1.19, p < 0.05) consumption were associated with depression. For all participants, lower grip strength (OR = 1.25, p < 0.001) and high nutritional risk (OR = 2.24, p < 0.001) were associated with depression. For men, being in a relationship (OR = 0.62, p < 0.001), completing post-secondary education (OR = 0.82, p < 0.05), higher fat (ORs = 0.67–83, p’s < 0.05) and omega-3 egg intake (OR = 0.86, p < 0.05) as well as moderate intakes of fruits/vegetables and calcium/high vitamin D sources (ORs = 0.71–0.743, p’s < 0.05) predicted a lower likelihood of depression. For men, chronic conditions (ORs = 1.36–3.65, p’s < 0.001), chronic pain (OR = 1.86, p < 0.001), smoking (OR = 1.17, p < 0.001), or chocolate consumption (ORs = 1.14–1.72, p’s < 0.05) predicted a higher likelihood of depression.ConclusionsThe odds of developing depression were highest among immigrant women. Depression in middle-aged and older adults is also associated with socioeconomic, physical, and nutritional factors and the relationships differ by sex. These results provide insights for mental health interventions specific to adults aged 45–85.

Short relative leg length is associated with overweight and obesity in Mexican immigrant women

BackgroundPrior research suggests that undernutrition and enteric infections predispose children to stunted growth. Undernutrition and infections have been associated with limited access to healthy diets, lack of sanitation, and access barriers to healthcare – all associated with human rights. Stunting has also been documented to be a major determinant of subsequent obesity and non-communicable diseases. Short leg length relative to stature during adulthood seems to be a good proxy indicator tracking such barriers, and has been reported to be associated with adverse health effects during adulthood. Our objective was to examine the association between relative leg length (as measured by the leg length index, LLI) and measures of adiposity – based on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) – in a population of recent Mexican immigrant women to the New York City Area.MethodsThe analysis was based on a cross-sectional survey of 200 Mexican immigrant women aged 18 to 70 years, whose data were collected between April and November 2008; although for purposes of the current study we restricted the sample to those aged 18 to 59 years. The dependent variables were BMI and WC, both transformed into categorical variables. The main independent variable was LLI, and other correlates were controlled for (i.e. age, education, having had children, characteristics of the community of origin, acculturation, chronic conditions, sedentary behaviors, access to fresh fruits and vegetables). Two probit models were estimated: the first one analyzed the effect of LLI on BMI categories and the second one estimated the effect of LLI on WC.ResultsThe probit assessing the effect of LLI on overweight/obesity suggested that having a short LLI increased the probability of overweight/obesity by 21 percentage points. Results from the probit model estimating the effect of LLI on WC indicated that having a short LLI increased the probability of having abdominal adiposity by 39 percentage points. Both results were statistically significant at p < 0.05.ConclusionThe study found an association between having shorter legs relative to one’s height and increased risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal adiposity. Findings support the epidemiological evidence regarding the association between short leg length, early life socioeconomic conditions (i.e. limited access to basic rights), and increased risk of adverse health effects later in life.

Grounding evidence in experience to support people-centered health services

Evidence-informed and equity-oriented public health policy and practice require that people’s voices, especially those less heard, be central to decision-making in public health (Serrant-Green 2011). Stakeholder engagement is particularly urgent in the context of health inequities, where perspectives of those who carry the greatest burden of inequities are often poorly reflected in published literature (Serrant-Green 2011). Decision-makers in public health need robust and locally relevant tools that take account of both biomedical and cultural understandings of health and that support people’s participation in planning, implementation and evaluation (Napier et al. 2014). Leveraging several well-established tools from participatory research, systems science and Bayesian analysis, under a critical realist philosophy, we present a novel approach to knowledge synthesis, called the Weight of Evidence. This approach pushes conventional boundaries of who (or what) constitutes health service expertise through the formal inclusion of experiential knowledge from patients and/or communities, care providers and resource decision-makers, together on even footing with epidemiological studies (Borda 1996; Midgley 2000). This method unfolds in five steps: A conventional mixed methods synthesis of the research literature summarizes what is known about an outcome of interest, representing this knowledge as a map; Independently, stakeholders generate cognitive maps that identify and weight factors they believe influence the outcome; Update the literature-based map with stakeholder knowledge using Bayesian analysis; Suggest explanations of how social, economic and organizational contexts contribute to outcomes prioritized in cognitive maps; stakeholders adjust these explanations according to their experience; and Stakeholders develop recommendations accordingly. In this publication, we outline the Weight of Evidence process, highlighting some of the key insights from our pilot work addressing inequities in perinatal health in Canada, while a full description of our methodological development results is forthcoming. Weight of Evidence proved an excellent way to engage meaningfully with divergent perspectives, creating space for multiple and complex ways of understanding health and health services. Mapping evidence Step 1 follows existing guidelines to support comprehensive mixed methods evidence syntheses, pooling effect estimates when appropriate using standard meta-analyses techniques (Pluye and Hong 2014). We converted all effect estimates to odds ratios and transformed them into a common scale (− 1 to + 1) (Andersson et al. 2017). We then summarized findings in a concept map where nodes in the map represent themes from qualitative studies or independent variables from quantitative studies, and the strength of the arcs connecting nodes describe the effect estimates (Ozesmi and Ozesmi 2004; Giles et al. 2008). In our demonstration case, we focused on unmet postpartum care needs among recent immigrant women as an important health inequity in Canada (Gagnon et al. 2013). Our concept map also included evidence from the broader literature on perinatal health outcomes and experiences of recent immigrant women in Canada, as shown in Fig. 1. Open in a separate window Fig. 1 Fuzzy cognitive map of available literature on unmet postpartum care needs among recent immigrant women in Canada. EPDS is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. A score greater than 13 on the EPDS is interpreted as probable depression (Cox et al. 1987) (Canada, 2016)

Breast screening participation and retention among immigrants and nonimmigrants in British Columbia: A population-based study.

Breast cancer screening programs operate across Canada providing mammography to women in target age groups with the goal of reducing breast cancer mortality through early detection of tumors. Disparities in breast screening participation among socio‐demographic groups, including immigrants, have been reported in Canada. Our objectives were to: (1) assess breast screening participation and retention among immigrant and nonimmigrant women in British Columbia (BC), Canada; and (2) to characterize factors associated with screening among screening‐age recent immigrant women in BC. We examined 2 population‐based cohorts of women eligible for breast screening participation (537 783 women) and retention (281 052 women) using linked health and immigration data. Breast screening rates were presented according to socio‐demographic and health‐related variables stratified by birth country. Factors associated with screening among recent immigrant women were explored using Poisson regression. We observed marked variation in screening participation across birth country cohorts. Eastern European/Central Asian women showed low participation (37.9%) with rates from individual countries ranging from 35.0% to 49.0%. Participation rates for immigrant women from the most common birth countries, such as China/Macau/Hong Kong/Taiwan (45.7%), India (44.5%), the Philippines (45.9%), and South Korea (39.0%), were lower than the nonimmigrant rates (51.2%). Retention rates showed less variation by birth country; however, some disparities between immigrant and nonimmigrant groups persisted. Associations between screening indicators and study factors varied considerably across immigrant groups. Primary care physician visits were consistently positively associated with screening participation; this variable was also the only predictor associated with screening within each of the groups of recent immigrants. Our study provides unique data on both screening participation and retention among Canadian immigrant women compiled by individual country of birth. Our results are further demonstration that screening disparities exist among immigrant populations as well as in comparison with nonimmigrant women.

Prevalence, Incidence, and Persistence of Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and Comorbidity among Chinese Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Women: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Our objectives were to examine the prevalence and incidence of postpartum depressive, anxiety, and comorbid symptoms over the first postpartum year; the persistence of these symptoms; and the prevalence stratified by immigration status. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study in Ontario, Canada. Participants were 571 Chinese recent immigrant, nonrecent immigrant, and Canadian-born women with live births in 2011 to 2014. Participants were assessed at 4, 12, and 52 weeks postpartum for the presence of possible and high depressive symptomatology (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] >9 and >12, respectively), anxiety symptomatology (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI] >40), and comorbid symptomatology (EPDS >9 and STAI >40). Prevalence and incidence with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Prevalence rates were highest at 4 weeks and decreased across time, with possible depressive symptomatology most prevalent at most time points. Incidence rates at 12 and 52 weeks were generally similar. Of those with possible symptomatology at 4 weeks, 42.0% or less continued to have symptomatology at 12 weeks and 17.4% or less at 52 weeks. There were no differences in prevalence of any type of symptomatology between immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese women at 4 weeks, but at 12 and 52 weeks, most types of symptomatology were more common among recent and nonrecent immigrants. Our findings suggest that Chinese immigrant women are a high-risk group for postpartum depressive and anxiety symptomatology. Future research should identify cultural and psychosocial factors associated with immigration that could be addressed in the system of care for postpartum immigrant women.

The Time Intensity of Childcare Provided by Older Immigrant Women in the United States.

Older adults comprise an increasing share of new legal admits to the United States. While many are financially dependent on their families, a more complete picture requires taking into account the nonmonetary contributions of this population. Using the American Time Use Survey, this study examines whether older recent immigrant women provide more unpaid childcare than their native-born and more established immigrant counterparts. Results suggest that while older recent immigrant women are more likely to provide unpaid childcare, this effect is eliminated upon controlling for demographic characteristics. However, among those who do provide childcare, older recent immigrant women provide more hours of care even after controlling for demographic and household characteristics. This pattern holds up even after restricting the analysis to women living with young children. These results may signal reciprocal supportive networks. Working-age adults may financially support older recent immigrants, while older recent immigrants provide unremunerated childcare for working-age adults.

"They See Us As Machines:" The Experience of Recent Immigrant Women in the Low Wage Informal Labor Sector.

This study explores the organization of work and occupational health risk as elicited from recently immigrated women (n = 8) who have been in the US for less than three years and employed in informal work sectors such as cleaning and factory work in the greater Boston area in Massachusetts. Additional interviews (n = 8) with Community Key Informants with knowledge of this sector and representatives of temporary employment agencies in the area provides further context to the interviews conducted with recent immigrant women. These results were also compared with our immigrant occupational health survey, a large project that spawned this study. Responses from the study participants suggest health outcomes consistent with being a day-laborer scholarship, new immigrant women are especially at higher risk within these low wage informal work sectors. A difference in health experiences based on ethnicity and occupation was also observed. Low skilled temporary jobs are fashioned around meeting the job performance expectations of the employer; the worker’s needs are hardly addressed, resulting in low work standards, little worker protection and poor health outcomes. The rising prevalence of non-standard employment or informal labor sector requires that policies or labor market legislation be revised to meet the needs presented by these marginalized workers.

Perspectives on Breast Health Education and Services Among Recent Hispanic Immigrant Women in the Midwest: a Qualitative Study in Lancaster County, Nebraska.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among Hispanic women in the USA. Throughout the country, Hispanic immigrants face many barriers to achieving optimal breast health. Three focus groups were conducted to explore challenges and opportunities in access to breast health services and information among recent Hispanic immigrant women in Lancaster Country, Nebraska. Respondents perceived breast cancer as a serious issue and were concerned about it, but there were few cues to action to improve health given the limited information and access to services available to low-income Spanish-speaking individuals in the community. Results highlighted the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate health education and services, accessibility and promotion of low-cost screening and treatment services, and inclusive policies to promote preventative healthcare services for all women regardless of immigration status. Health is more than just clinical care, and therefore, it is important to understand the contextual and cultural factors that have resulted in low screening rates and develop methods to address these them. Failure to address these aspects of social determinants ofhealth could hamper efforts to improve breast health and reduce disparities.

Economic evaluation of a community health worker-led health literacy intervention to promote cancer screening among Korean American women.

The study's objectives were to calculate the costs and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of implementing a health literacy-focused intervention to promote breast and cervical cancer screenings among Korean American women overdue for these tests. Researchers estimated the costs of a cluster-randomized controlled trial that evaluated this intervention. Effectiveness was measured as the number of breast or cervical cancer screenings received by women in either the intervention and control arms of the study. Cost-effectiveness was calculated as the incremental cost of each additional screening received by the intervention group. Comparing the intervention and control group, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated to be US$236 per screening, without program development costs. These findings suggest this program, when compared with others, offered a more cost-effective approach for promoting cancer screening. Local health officials could use this information to guide decisions about reducing cancer disparities among recent immigrant women.

Subjective Social Status, Mental and Psychosocial Health, and Birth Weight Differences in Mexican-American and Mexican Immigrant Women.

Recent Mexican immigrant women on average have an unexpectedly low incidence of low birth weight (LBW). Birth weights decline and LBW incidence increases in post-immigrant generations. This pilot project tested the hypothesis that subjective social status (SSS) of pregnant women predicts variation in birth weight between Mexican immigrant and Mexican-American women. 300 low-income pregnant Mexican immigrant and Mexican-American women in South Texas were surveyed for SSS, depression, pregnancy-related anxiety, perceived social stress and self-esteem and subsequent birth weight. No significant difference in SSS levels between pregnant Mexican immigrant and Mexican-American women were found. However, SSS better predicted variation in birth weight across both groups than mental and psychosocial health variables. Results suggest distinct relationships among SSS, mental and psychosocial health that could impact birth weight. They underscore the relevance of a multilevel, biopsychosocial analytical framework to studying LBW.

Attendance for Postpartum Glucose Tolerance Testing Following Gestational Diabetes among South Asian Women in Australia: A Qualitative Study

Attendance for Postpartum Glucose Tolerance Testing Following Gestational Diabetes among South Asian Women in Australia: A Qualitative Study To conduct an in-depth exploration of the experiences of and perspectives on postpartum Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) screening of South Asian women diagnosed with GDM in Melbourne, Australia. Using an exploratory qualitative methodology, this study was carried out in two phases: the first phase involved face-to-face in-depth interviews with 17 recent immigrant women from South Asia. In the second phase 23 GDM diagnosed women were interviewed.

Changes in health selection of obesity among Mexican immigrants: A binational examination

Health selection is often measured by comparing the health of more recent immigrants to the native born of their new host country. However, this comparison fails to take into account two important factors: (1) that changes in the health profile of sending countries may impact the health of immigrants over time, and (2) that the best comparison group for health selection would be people who remain in the country of origin. Obesity represents an important health outcome that may be best understood by taking into account these two factors. Using nationally-representative datasets from Mexico and the US, we examined differences in obesity-related health selection, by gender, in 2000 and 2012. We calculated prevalence ratios from log-binomial models to compare the risk of obesity among recent immigrants to the US to Mexican nationals with varying likelihood of migration, in order to determine changes in health selection over time. Among men in 2000, we found little difference in obesity status between recent immigrants to the US and Mexican non-migrants. However, in 2012, Mexican men who were the least likely to migrate had higher obesity prevalence than recent immigrants, which may reflect emerging health selection. The trends for women, however, indicated differences in obesity status between recent Mexican immigrants and non-migrants at both time points. In both 2000 and 2012, Mexican national women had significantly higher obesity prevalence than recent immigrant women, with the biggest difference between recent immigrants and Mexican women who were least likely to migrate. There was also indication that selection increased with time for women, as the differences between Mexican nationals and recent immigrants to the US grew from 2000 to 2012. Our study is among the first to use a binational dataset to examine the impact of health selectivity, over time, on obesity.

‘Not Giving Up on Life’: A Holistic Exploration of Resilience among a Sample of Immigrant Canadian Women

Nous étudions les expériences d’immigrées et leur cheminement avant et après leur arrivée au Canada, tout en mettant l’accent sur leur résilience alors qu’elles ont dû faire face à d’énormes défis au cours de leur relocalisation. Les immigrées récentes ont été confrontées à un grand nombre de ces défis lors de leur installation et au risque d’impact négatif qui y est lié. Il était important d’en tenir compte en se concentrant sur la manière dont les participantes ont surmonté l’adversité et montré leur force de résistance. Nous nous sommes servis d’une méthodologie qualitative comprenant des entrevues (n=14) centrées sur la personne et faites en profondeur avec cinq immigrées récentes au Canada qui avaient le statut d’immigrantes (autres que réfugiées). Nous avons soumis l’ensemble des données qualitatives à une analyse thématique. Ces données ont fait ressortir trois thèmes dominants, soit : la vie avant de venir au Canada, un voyage soumis à des conditions stressantes et la résilience, à savoir tenir quoiqu’il arrive. Notre étude élargit de deux manières la documentation sur cette force de résistance chez les immigrés. Tout d’abord, elle va au-delà de l’exploration de l’expérience post-migratoire et prend en considération la vie de ces femmes avant et après leur migration afin de permettre une compréhension plus holistique de leur résilience. Ensuite, elle examine comment ces femmes ont acquis cette dernière au sein de leur couple et de leur famille. Comprendre la résilience d’immigrées, c’est aussi appréhender leur vie avant leur arrivée au Canada, la solidité de leur mariage et la force de résistance de leur famille. Enfin, nous avons aussi suggéré des recherches à venir.