Many people are displaced from their country of origin and become refugees, mostly due to armed conflicts, political violence and human rights abuse. Refugees have complex mental, physical, and social health problems related to their traumatic background and the experiences they have endured during their refugee journey. The aim of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine the effectiveness of primary health care services in addressing mental health needs of Bhutanese refugee women resettled in New Zealand. This study included focus group discussion with Bhutanese women and men followed by interviews with health service providers. The findings of this study highlighted inadequacies and constraints in addressing Bhutanese refugee women's mental health needs in New Zealand and provided evidence for recommendations to address these inadequacies.

Refugees are forced to flee their native country to escape war or oppression. They are resilient and generally have a high level of motivation to rebuild their lives, as well as to make a meaningful contribution to the host country. However, refugees in general have complex health needs and they often face significant barriers in accessing health services in their host countries. Health promotion has been identified as an effective approach for increasing service utilization by minority populations such as refugees, and contributing to their overall positive health outcomes. This qualitative study examined the accessibility and acceptability of health promotion services for Bhutanese refugee women who resettled in New Zealand. The study consisted of two phases: focus group discussions with 32 Bhutanese women and eight Bhutanese men, followed by individual interviews with 12 health professionals including five nurses, four doctors and three midwives. The data were collected in two regional towns of New Zealand in 2014. The study’s conceptual framework utilized the strategies and actions underpinning the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Findings of this study revealed that Bhutanese women were missing some essential health promotion services, such as antenatal education sessions mainly due to language and cultural barriers. This study recommends to develop health promotion resources in the Nepali language; and to deliver the health promotion sessions by culturally and linguistically competent providers. This study also uncovered resiliency and strengths of Bhutanese women that could be recognized, strengthened and utilized in promoting their health and well-being.

A significant number of people have been displaced from their country of origin and become refugees. Good health is essential for refugees to actively engage and take up opportunities within the society in their host countries. However, negotiating a new and unfamiliar health system hinders refugees’ ability to access and make use of the available health services. Communication difficulties due to language barriers are the most commonly cited challenges faced by refugees in accessing and utilizing health services post-resettlement. In this study, we aimed to examine effectiveness of interpreting services for refugee women in New Zealand. Data were collected through three sources: focus groups with Bhutanese women, focus group with Bhutanese men, and individual interviews with health professionals. The findings of this study reveal inadequacies and constraints in the provision of a socioculturally and linguistically effective interpreting service to Bhutanese women and provide evidence for recommendations to address these inadequacies.

Objective There is a paucity of health‐related research on older Asian immigrants in New Zealand. The aim of this review was to critically examine literature on the health and well‐being of this population group. Methods An integrative literature review was conducted from December 2017 to February 2018. Online databases searched were Scopus, MEDLINE, CINAHL and the Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre. Results Two themes were identified: Firstly, the “challenges stemming from an unfamiliar environment” faced by older Asian immigrants, and secondly, their “strategies for adjusting to a new home.” These themes suggested how participation in community and leisure activities, as well as adapting their outlook on life, contributed to these older migrants’ health and well‐being within a New Zealand context. Conclusion A multitude of challenges in maintaining health and well‐being confronted these older Asian immigrants; nevertheless, they created strategies to respond and positively influence their health following later‐life migration.

This integrative review aimed to determine the features of effective physical activity programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older adults. Methods: We searched for relevant articles in MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and CINAHL. Articles were selected for evaluation if they included CALD older adults and implemented physical activity programs with culturally specific design features. Consistent with the Whittemore and Knafl integrative review methodology, we used the Downs and Black Checklist, Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and the McMaster University appraisal tool for quantitative studies to assess the quality of included articles. Results: Seven articles were included in this review. Effective community-based exercise or physical activity programs for CALD populations commonly featured close-to-home delivery, native language instruction and adaptations of culturally familiar activities. Conclusion: The provision of culturally appropriate community-based physical activity programs appears to support and encourage engagement among CALD older adults.