Understanding Health Priorities, Behaviors, and Service Utilization Among Brazilian Immigrant Women: Implications for Designing Community-Based Interventions

• Published in: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities 2022-02, Vol.9 (1), p.135-145
• Main Authors: Priebe Rocha, Leticia, Soares, Cristiane, McGregor, Alecia, Chen, Stacy, Kaplan, Amy, Rose, Raviv, Galvão, Heloisa, Siqueira, C. Eduardo, Allen, Jennifer D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brazil; Churches; Community; Community Health Services; Community-based programs; Complaints; Data collection; Domestic violence; Emigrants and Immigrants; Epidemiology; Estimates; Female; Focus groups; Health behavior; Health care; Health care access; Health disparities; Health education; Health Priorities; Health promotion; Health services; Health Services Accessibility; Health services utilization; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Immigrants; Immigration; Informed consent; Interpersonal communication; Intervention; Interviews; Mass media; Mass media effects; Medical screening; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Mental Health Services; Occupational health; Organizations; Personal communication; Police; Public health; Qualitative research; Quality of care; Quality of Life Research; Respiratory function; Social agencies; Social Inequality; Social media; Social networks; Social organization; Social services; Social Structure; Women
• ISSN: 2197-3792; 2196-8837; 2196-8837
• DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00936-y

Brazilians represent a growing proportion of immigrants in the USA. Little is known about their health or healthcare utilization after their arrival. This study aimed to gather formative data to understand the needs of Brazilian immigrant women to guide public health interventions. We conducted five focus groups with Brazilian women born in Brazil ( n  = 47) and 13 key informant interviews with representatives from Brazilian-serving organizations. Participants were recruited from churches and social service organizations in the Greater Boston area. Findings revealed that mental health was the most pressing health priority; many attributed high levels of anxiety and depression to worries about undocumented status, separation from social networks, and strenuous work schedules. Occupational health issues were frequently mentioned, including musculoskeletal complaints, skin rashes, and respiratory problems. Domestic violence was also a concern, and many women feared reporting to police due to undocumented status. Most reported good access to medical care and described the quality of healthcare services as superior to that available in Brazil. However, many reported challenges with interpersonal communication with providers, dissatisfaction with a perceived unwillingness from providers to order medical tests or prescribe treatment, and limited access to mental health services. There was agreement that effective intervention strategies should use social media, radio, and group education in churches.