Health and Wellbeing of UKs Women African Immigrants - Essay Example

City, State

Report on Health and Wellbeing of UK’s Women African Immigrants

Introduction

The migration figures in the United States have proliferated within the last 20 years in comparison to any other time in history. This is in line with the increasing number of migrants in the wider Europe. The patterns of migration all over the world has been caused by poverty and the desire for a life that is better. While the same drivers are still present, increase in asylum seekers and refugee as well as schemes for seasonal workers are the other new phenomenon in the immigration matrix. The immigrant countries have similarly changed with Africa and Latin America taking the lead. Whereas it is the husbands who seek to migrate to the UK, it has been shown that they bring along their wives. The change in environment means that these women are exposed to leads them to experience historical, cultural, and social influences. The newfound lifestyle that they acquire can similarly influence their health and wellbeing. Indeed, studies have revealed that the minority group, especially the black women immigrants from Africa are exposed to health issues more than any other category of the UK population. The phenomenon is down to the absence of knowledge due to lack of education, a feature that characterizes a majority of the women. In the present report, the health and wellbeing of the African women immigrants are going to form the foundation of the discussion including the promotional approaches that can be employed in order to combat the health menaces that this group faces.

Impact of Social, Cultural and Historical Influences on Women Immigrants from Africa

Several studies have demonstrated that the lifestyle of women immigrants from Africa in the UK changes significantly when they arrive there. In one of the studies, it was indicated that the women become socially excluded as they try to adjust and fit into their new surroundings (Mahalingam 2013, p. 34). Most of them are ill equipped to communicate with the natives to the language barrier issues. This further alienates them from the social life and confines them in a small bubble within their homes. The secluded lifestyle is further fuelled by the instances of racism, which is a historical phenomenon. Furthermore, the cultural practices that these women are used to are not compatible with the British culture making them to become isolated and lead sedentary lifestyles that exposes them to varied diseases.

In addition, different studies have been conducted regarding the cultural and social influences on the lifestyles of the women immigrants from Africa in the UK. In this studies, it was discovered that women emanating from disparate cultural and social backgrounds portray behaviors that are culturally explicit when suffering from diseases (Brettell & Hollifield, 2014, p. 123). In addition, another study revealed that “the way that a person comprehends and perceives their wellbeing and health is strongly associated with the subjective cultural experience in their home nations.” Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the social exclusion and depravity that these women suffer when they arrive in the UK significantly influence their health and wellbeing.

The Impact of the Lifestyle on their Health and Wellbeing

The impact of the secluded lifestyles that these women lead has been revealed via several empirical studies and research. The fact that they do not engage with other people puts them at a risk of acquiring multifarious diseases. In a study that involved women immigrants from Ethiopia, it was revealed that they fear that the social isolation that characterize their lives is responsible for their disease states (Leong, Eggerth, & Flynn 2014, p. 100). The fact that most of them do not have formal employment due to lack of prerequisite papers was cited as another reason that can cause diseases. The psychological torture that they undergo in their withdrawn lives similarly leads to mental diseases (Leong, Eggerth, & Flynn 2014, p. 193). However, most of them believe that mental issues are caused by supernatural forces and not the psychological issues.

The personal and societal barriers that this kind of lifestyle exposes the immigrants to is significant as it substantially impacts their wellbeing and health. As a consequence, researchers have advised the UK government to seek measures that would allow the women to transition easily into the British life without facing varied obstacles (Knies, Nandi, & Platt 2014). Indeed, the fact that the immigrant women from Africa are isolated means that they do not access medical services in time. As such, the diagnosis and treatment of numerous disease conditions becomes difficult for the physicians. Therefore, the lifestyle that the immigrant women assume affects their health and wellbeing substantially. The fact that the women from Africa do not interact with the native means that they may not be aware of the health practices that are offered by practitioners further jeopardizing their wellbeing in the UK (Ul-Haq 2014, p. 345). Therefore, the kind of lifestyle that African women who migrate to the UK are forced to live compromises their general health and wellbeing.

Promotion of Health and Wellbeing of the Women Immigrants

The promotion of health and wellbeing of women immigrants from Africa possesses extensive benefits to both the surrounding community and the country as whole. The first benefit will be the promotion of productivity in the United Kingdom. Studies have shown that a health immigrant population is fundamental to the economic performance of a nation (Moorley, Corcoran, Sanya 2014, p. 27). The literacy support offered to these immigrant women will result to long-term economic benefits to the UK. This is because the knowledge will allow the women to lead lifestyles that are healthy all year round. As a consequence, the government does not spend money trying to manage illness using the various kitties that have been formulated for such groups (Francis, Griffith, & Leser 2014, p.1). In addition, promoting the health and wellbeing of this group through a variety of strategies reduced their vulnerability. The increase of access to insurance and to various community clinics ensures that these immigrants are covered.

The promotion of the health and wellbeing of immigrants from African nations is an important disease prevention tool. The promotion of healthy lifestyles amongst the group is of paramount importance as it helps to prevent communicable diseases (Nazik et al. 2015, p. 5). Due to the fact that these people are generally segregated, it becomes fundamental that they understand the danger paused by communicable disease so as to cushion the general population against them. In addition, an informed immigrant population due to the promotion activities will be able to vaccinate their children against disease such as polio leading to a population that is generally healthier. Moreover, the promotion of health among this group of the population will lead to the obstruction of cultural barriers to treatment that may affect them (Evans et al. 2016, p. 1). Indeed, most studies have demonstrated a strong linkage between these barriers and the fact that women immigrants from Africa are vulnerable to diseases. The breaching of the aforesaid barriers is a key factor in promoting the health and lifestyles of the women in question.

The Benefits to the Society

As mentioned earlier, the society will benefit from the promotion of health and wellbeing of the women immigrants from Africa. It has been claimed that a majority of them may place the wider society in danger due to ignorance. However, this promotion permits them to become cognizant of the potential dangers of certain conditions and the measures that they may take (Bauman & Nutbeam 2013, p. 37). Additionally, the burden to the society will be reduced. Statistics reveal that most of the immigrants who enter the UK do not have enough money to even sustain themselves. Indeed, most of them depend on local governments’ welfare programs to survive. As such, it is important that expensive aspects such as diseases are prevented so as to reduce the burden that these local governments, and by extension the society may have to bear. This can only be achieved via health promotion activities (Baum & Fisher 2014, p. 217).

Health Promotion Approaches

The first approach that the concerned parties should consider is the settings-based approach. The approach encompasses a multidisciplinary and holistic strategies that incorporates actions throughout risk factors (Liu et al. 2012). The sole objective of the said approach is to optimize the prevention of diseases through a “whole system” methodology. The fundamental principles of the healthy-settings tactic include equity, empowerment, partnership and participation.

Moreover, the behavioral/lifestyle approaches could be employed. This approach is essential as it is focuses on persons or groups whose social or behavioral situations puts them at a greater danger of acquiring lifestyle diseases (Clavier & de Leeuw 2013, p. 57). The approaches contained herein will target the “at risk” groups such as immigrants in a society in a bid to alter their unhealthy behaviors. The behavioral/lifestyle approaches will use various strategies such as social marketing and health education.

Health Promotion Theories

There are various theoretical frameworks that can be used to enhance health promotion activities in high-risk patients such as the immigrant women from Africa in the UK. The prevention of various diseases and the enhancement of the lifestyles of this category of the society can be founded upon these theories most of which are tested (Murray, Zentner, & Yakimo 2013, p. 23). The first theory that could be used by relevant authorities is the community organization theory. In this theory, the strengths of the women immigrants from Africa community in the UK will be given focus. The theory’s fundamental concepts include: social networks, the selection of issues, and capacity of the community, critical consciousness, as well as relevance and participation (Corcoran 2013, p. 45).

The social cognitive theory is yet another one that can be employed. In this theory, personal factors, behavior and the environment are regarded as its vital principles and it is premised on the fact that all of them affect one another (Riekert, Ockene, & Pbert 2013). The central concepts here include expectations, reinforcements, observational learning, and self-efficacy, all of which are tailored towards combating diseases.

Reasons for Changing Lifestyle Behaviors

The immigrants may be forced to change their lifestyle behaviors because of their children. Researchers have revealed that children play an integral role in making immigrant mothers to transition their lifestyles especially in terms of diet (Meadows, Thurston & Melton 2001, p. 1454). The exposure that these women will have on lifestyle issues may also lead to them changing their diets. It has been demonstrated that women from Africa are not given enough health education, which makes them to consider the traditional lifestyles that they lead as the best. However, in the UK, there are various policies that make women acquire health knowledge and information, which may in turn make them to look at their lifestyles differently (Carta et al. 2005, p. 13). The adverse effects of the sedentary lifestyles that the women immigrants have been shown to live may force them to change their lifestyles. According to health professionals, women immigrants from Africa normally suffer from conditions such as obesity when they come to the UK because of the absence of knowledge regarding the dangers of such conditions (Burnett & Peel 2001, p. 544). However, with effective promotion strategies, such hazards are illuminated influencing the women to change their lifestyles.

Success of the Behavior Change Methods

The behavior change methods have been shown to have limited success. This can be partly associated with the absence of the mediators that characterize the successful outcomes of the said methods (Peters, de Bruin, & Crutzen 2015, p. 4). Critically, the resource allocations to these methods have been found to be below the required levels. In addition, the effectiveness of the behavior methods is questionable given the fact that even reports that evaluate them do not mention the actual effective strategies (Schaalma & Kok 2009, p. 7; Webb et al. 2010, p. 4). As a consequence, it becomes extremely difficult to measure the effectiveness of the methods and compare them. Thus, the behavior change methods to not enjoy the success that is required of them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, women immigrants from Africa in the UK suffer from the cultural, social and historical shocks when they enter the UK. This exposes them to various disease conditions that require the intervention of health promotional activities. There are various strategies and theoretical frameworks that can be utilized in order to reduce the diseases conditions in these women. However, some of these strategies are not as effective as they should be due to technical hitches.