A cross-sectional study of health and well-being among newly settled refugee migrants in Sweden–The role of health literacy, social support and self-efficacy

Al-Adhami, Maissa; Berglund, Erik; Wångdahl, Josefin; Salari, Raziye

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279397

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The post-assessment questionnaire included some additional questions about the course, which were not analyzed. All measures (see below) were available in Arabic as they had previously been translated from Swedish to Arabic by the research group and used in similar studies ( Wångdahl et al ., 2018 ; Al-Adhami et al ., 2022 ). The original translations were done following scientific translations’ guidelines ( Guillemin et al ., 1993 ) and included back-translation, peer (expert-check) and pilot-testing with participants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can extended health communication improve newly settled refugees’ health literacy? A quasi-experimental study from Sweden

Al-Adhami,

Durbeej,

Daryani

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

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Structural and contextual factors such as limited work and housing opportunities negatively affect the health and well-being of newly settled refugee migrants in receiving high-income countries. Health promotion initiatives aiming at strengthening health and integration have been tried out within the Swedish Introduction program for refugee migrants. However, longitudinal evaluations of these interventions are rare. The aim of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of a regular and an extended civic orientation course with added health communication and examine whether the latter would improve self-rated health and psychological well-being, health literacy and social capital among newly settled refugee migrants in Sweden. Pre- and post-assessment questionnaires were collected from the intervention group receiving the extended course (n = 143) and a control group receiving the regular course (n = 173). Linear mixed models and chi-square analyses showed a significant increase with a small effect size (0.21) in health literacy in the intervention group. However, there were no significant changes in emotional and practical support, general self-rated health or psychological well-being. The findings indicate that added health communication provided embedded in the civic orientation course can increase health literacy. However, further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the sustainability of the observed effect and examine whether these short-term improvements in health literacy translate to long-term advances in health and integration.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can extended health communication improve newly settled refugees’ health literacy? A quasi-experimental study from Sweden

Al-Adhami,

Durbeej,

Daryani

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

Self Cite

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“…The overall findings indicate that a lack of social support, encompassing emotional, practical, and relational aspects, is closely associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, stress, and PTSD [21,30,31,37,[40][41][42]; general/subjective well-being [26,30]; and life satisfaction [43]. In contrast, strong social supports-comprising family, friends, community groups, and government support-often mitigate these negative impacts on psychological well-being [21,23,39,44]; general/subjective wellbeing [21]; resettlement process [18,22,45,46].…”

Section: Associations Between Social Connectedness and Well-being And...mentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Beyond the HSCL-25, other common tools for measuring psychological wellbeing include the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) for assessing traumatic stress [26,27] and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for depression or panic disorder [19,29]. For general/subjective well-being, subjective questions were used, such as assessments of overall health status [30] and experiences in managing health in immigrant contexts [31]. The World Health Organization's Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was also employed in two studies [26,32].…”

Section: Well-being Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of social connectedness measurement tools, social support emerged as the most frequently measured aspect of social connectedness. Researchers assessed it primarily through subjective questions, often asking participants how often they seek help, talk to someone, or share their feelings with others [16,25,29,30,[36][37][38]. Additionally, some studies employed validated instruments like the 5-item ENRICHD Social Support Instrument and the F-SozU K-14 [32,39].…”

Section: Social Connectednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Resettlement Journey: Understanding The Role of Social Connectedness on Well-being and Life Satisfaction among (Im)migrants and Refugees: A Systematic Review

Song,

Corcoran,

Zahnow

2024

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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In the context of rising global migration and/or forced displacement, there is a pressing need to consider the well-being and life satisfaction of (im)migrants and refugees during resettlement. Research highlights the importance of social connectedness for (im)migrants and refugees during the resettlement phase. Yet, a critical gap remains in our understanding of the key characteristics through which social connections exert their influence on well-being and life satisfaction. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the existing international literature on social connectedness and its impact on the well-being and life satisfaction of (im)migrants and refugees in post-migration contexts. Our analysis of 43 studies finds that social connectedness, in the form of social support and social networks, is beneficial for well-being and life satisfaction during resettlement. In addition to social support from individual network ties, community engagement can also enhance well-being by facilitating a sense of belonging. All 43 studies focused on psychological well-being and 69.8% relied on cross-sectional data. The findings of this review emphasise the need for longitudinal studies and standardised measurement tools to capture the dynamic interplay between social connectedness and well-being across various domains (psychological, physical, general/subjective) in migrant populations. We draw on the findings to propose a new conceptual model of the dynamic association between social connectedness and well-being/life satisfaction that seeks to explore these relationships in future empirical studies.

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“…Limited health literacy among migrants leads to poor health outcomes and reduced psychological well-being (Feinberg et al , 2020; Al-Adhami et al , 2022). Additional consequences of low health literacy include an increased risk of hospitalization, more frequent use emergency services and reduced likelihood of utilization of preventive services (Berkman et al , 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subjective health status and health literacy of African refugees and asylum seekers in Germany: a cross-sectional survey

Bäumel,

Sauter,

Weber

et al. 2024

IJMHSC

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Purpose Many refugees and asylum seekers in Germany experience a high disease burden and low health literacy. The current study aims to focus on assessing these issues among African refugees and asylum seekers in Bavaria, Germany. The authors evaluated their self-perceived health status and health literacy, and identified barriers and gaps in health care utilization, intending to improve health care services for this group. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study involving 69 refugees and asylum seekers from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Nigeria. The authors performed descriptive and exploratory statistical analyses. Findings The authors found a substantial disease burden in the early stages of resettlement in Germany, particularly mental health symptoms (53.6%) and musculoskeletal problems (47.8%). Challenges in health literacy were observed, such as difficulties in understanding health information and managing emergency situations. Access to interpreters was limited, and understanding treatment certificates was more challenging than using electronic health cards, with 18.2% of participants reporting denial of medical treatment. Practical implications These findings highlight the need for early and tailored health support for refugees, with a particular focus on mental health. Efforts should be made to reduce language barriers and improve navigational skills within the health-care system, particularly in emergency situations. Addressing the restricted access to health care and bureaucratic obstacles is crucial for improved health outcomes among refugees. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to specifically explore the self-reported health status and health literacy of African refugees and asylum seekers in Bavaria, Germany, providing valuable insights into the unique healthcare challenges of this often underrepresented and overlooked population.

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A cross-sectional study of health and well-being among newly settled refugee migrants in Sweden–The role of health literacy, social support and self-efficacy

Cited by 8 publications

References 60 publications

Can extended health communication improve newly settled refugees’ health literacy? A quasi-experimental study from Sweden

Can extended health communication improve newly settled refugees’ health literacy? A quasi-experimental study from Sweden

The Resettlement Journey: Understanding The Role of Social Connectedness on Well-being and Life Satisfaction among (Im)migrants and Refugees: A Systematic Review

Subjective health status and health literacy of African refugees and asylum seekers in Germany: a cross-sectional survey

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