Embraced by the past, hopeful for the future: meaning of health to ageing persons who have migrated from the Western Balkan region to Sweden

Abstract

Previous research has often visualised ageing and migration as risk factors for poor health, pointing to a need for targeting health-promoting efforts towards ageing persons who are born abroad. However, most research has been conducted from an objective and poor health perspective, losing the broader picture of health in the context of ageing and migration. A key issue left unexplored is the meaning of health from a subjective perspective with focus upon persons who constitute the target groups for health promotion and other health-care services. A large number of people are now ageing in countries other than their country of birth. Therefore, studying the meaning of health in relation to this part of the population is of growing importance. As part of a larger health promotion project, the aim of this study was to explore the meaning of health to ageing persons who have migrated from the Western Balkan region to Sweden. Data were collected by individual interviews, conducted in the participants' mother tongue. Inspired by Ricoeur's hermeneutic approach, health was interpreted as a retrospective and prospective process of exercising control over one's own life, daily activities and social commitments. This interpretation is discussed in relation to how a person-centred approach to health-care services could bridge health inequities in an ageing and globalising society.

Moving From Knowledge to Action in Partnership: A Case Study on Program Adaptation to Support Optimal Aging in the Context of Migration

“…In person-centered dialogues with reference groups of older persons and program participants, the need to adapt content toward each participating person’s innate resources was successively recognized. Thus, in line with previous research (Lood, 2015), our result showed that a person-centered approach helped to counteract stereotypes of the target groups needs by discovering capabilities of older persons aging in the context of migration.…”

Understanding the “black box” of a health-promotion program: Keys to enable health among older persons aging in the context of migration

“…In contrast, the key process enabling community was not related to learning and the opportunity to interact with other people was sometimes the strongest motivation for participation. The meaning of community for experiencing health or choosing to participate in health-promoting activities is supported by previous findings that describe the importance of meeting others with similar experiences (Capalb, O'Halloran, & Liamputtong, 2014 ; Lood, Häggblom-Kronlöf, & Dellenborg, 2015 ; Povlsen, 2012 ). This suggests that the HPP can be seen as both the means and goal for meaningful occupation.…”

Health promotion programme design and efficacy in relation to ageing persons with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

“…However, the included publications also acknowledge hetereogeneity within CALD populations, and the findings support a person-centred approach to health promotion, with attention to each person’s preferences and needs. As described by Turner et al [ 33 ], person-centredness is an important part of best practice with ageing persons [ 33 ], and it is an important aspect of confronting stereotypic and stigmatising views of people with CALD backgrounds [ 34 , 35 ]. Nevertheless, coming to a fore is a scientific knowledge gap with regard to how a person-centred approach could be applied to health promotion with older people with CALD backgrounds.…”