This study investigated cultural variations in health conceptions and practices using a quasiexperimental design. A total of 60 participants, recruited from three cultural groups in Canada, were individually interviewed between the fall of 2009 and the fall of 2010. Transcribed interviews were quantified according to the importance participants ascribed to emergent themes. The data generated three intriguing findings: (a) Consistent with an interdependent self-construal or ecological self, First Nations participants were more likely to report health conceptions and practices that expand beyond the individual self to include their family, the community, and the environment when compared with Anglophones and Francophones of European ancestry; (b) First Nations participants placed more importance on maintaining their traditions and culture as a health-promoting strategy, compared with Anglophones and Francophones; and (c) some of the health conceptions identified by all three groups significantly predicted the practices they engage in to promote health. These findings suggest that culture has a noticeable impact on health conceptions, which in turn influence health practices. There are at least two important implications: (a) Health policy makers need to take into account the role culture plays in the way people conceptualize health to ensure that health policies and programs reflect the particular beliefs and needs of their target populations and (b) health-care professionals need to be aware of the diverse views of their patients to provide culturally appropriate care.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to patients' adherence to prescribed medications and recommended lifestyle changes. Two hundred and ninety-eight adults from a northern Canadian community filled out a questionnaire. Several intriguing findings emerged: (a) Adherence to lifestyle changes and participants' age presented a U-shape relationship; (b) Those who perceived themselves to be in poor health were less likely than those in good health to adhere to lifestyle changes; (c) Barriers such as the severe winter weather, lack of transportation, and cost of medications contributed negatively to adherence; and (d) If doctors provided sufficient information on the benefits and use of the prescribed medications and the proposed lifestyle changes and if patients reported trusting their doctors, they tended to adhere more. Physicians can play an important role in promoting adherence among patients. Community health workers should make efforts in reducing barriers that interfere with patient adherence.

Patient participation in health care is a priority. Yet, patients' perspective with regards to their experiences of participation is not well understood. Moreover, few studies have attempted to explore the perspective of ethnolinguistic minority patients. The objectives of this study, to explore 1) patients' experiences of participation in medical consultations with physicians, and 2) potential variations in these experiences based on participants' ethnolinguistic status. Using a qualitative design, 60 participants, from various ethnolinguistic background, took part in individual semistructured interviews. A content analysis was performed to identify emerging themes. The results, five themes emerged in response to the first objective and are organized in two key dimensions: a) participation in terms of information exchange (e.g. asking questions, providing information), and b) participation in terms of assertive behaviours (e.g. setting the agenda, expressing one's viewpoint, making a request). Across these themes, two levels of participation emerged: proactive participation (i.e. patient initiated) and responsive participation (i.e. physician initiated). Proactive participation was discussed more often. Patients also discussed experiences of non-participation, although these were less common. In response to the second objective, patients who faced a language barrier, regardless of their ethnic background, discussed less participative experiences. In general, participants spoke positively of experiences in which they participated, thus suggesting that patient participation is valued by patients. Patients seemed to have a broad view of patient participation, thus suggesting that the concept of patient participation should be extended beyond participation in decision-making. Language fluency seems key to ensure patient participation.

L’objectif de cette étude était d’explorer divers profils identitaires collectifs auprès des étudiants universitaires franco-manitobains, et ce, à partir du sentiment d’appartenance à la communauté franco-manitobaine et de la perception de continuité ethnolinguistique. Quinze répondantes et répondants ont participé à une entrevue individuelle. Quatre profils identitaires collectifs ont émergé : optimiste, en changement, inquiet et indifférent-désengagé. La mise en relation des catégories thématiques a permis d’émettre certaines hypothèses : a) Le profil identitaire des répondants serait fonction des rapports qu’ils entretiennent avec les exogroupes majoritaires ainsi que des structures et rapports sociaux au sein de l’endogroupe. b) Ces profils seraient, en retour, liés à la santé mentale des répondants ; ceux au profil inquiet semblent démontrer un bienêtre psychologique moindre comparativement aux autres répondants. c) Les profils identitaires collectifs orienteraient le recours aux services de soutien formels et informels ; la majorité des répondants, à l’exception de ceux au profil indifférent-désengagé, dit préférer recevoir de l’aide en français.

La minorité francophone dans sa communauté : recherche et retombées pratiques Volume 27, numéro 1, 2015 URI : id.erudit.org/iderudit/1031241ar