Gendered Health Outcome Among Somali Refugee Youth in Displacement: A Role of Social Support and Religious Belief

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2024-04, Vol.26 (2), p.341-350
• Main Authors: Im, Hyojin, George, Nicole, Swan, Laura E. T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Community support; Comparative Law; Coping; Demography; Displaced persons; Domestic violence; Families & family life; Female; Females; Gender; Gender aspects; Gender differences; Gender equity; Gender-based violence; Health behavior; Health education; Health literacy; Health promotion; Health status; Host country; Humans; International & Foreign Law; Kenya; Male; males; Medically Unexplained Symptoms; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Migration; Original Paper; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; physical health; Private International Law; protective effect; Psychological aspects; Psychosocial factors; Public Health; Refugees; Regression analysis; Religion; Religious beliefs; risk; Risk factors; Sex differences; Social interactions; Social Support; Sociology; Somalia; Somatic symptoms; surveys; Symptoms; Trauma; Women; Youth
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-023-01546-6

This study examines the factors influencing physical health status, specifically focusing on the gender differences in risk and promotive factors affecting health outcomes among Somali refugee youth displaced in Nairobi, Kenya (n = 227). A survey was used to assess participants’ physical health along with psychosocial factors, somatic symptoms, and demographic characteristics. The study shows that religious belief and somatic symptoms among the total sample were significant predictors in influencing the outcome of physical health. A moderated mediation analysis and logistic regression analyses also revealed gender differences in associated factors as well as health status; female participants reported higher somatic symptoms, associated with a decline in physical health, whereas the protective effect of social support and religious belief promote was found only among male counterparts. Future studies and interventions would be benefited from a gender-specific approach to health promotion and coping mechanisms in this population.