Biomedical subjects

Shelley Lees

Publications and source records attributed to Shelley Lees.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

The impact of migration on health beliefs and behaviours: the case of Ethiopian refugees in the UK.

The Research Centre for Transcultural Studies in Health, Middlesex University and the Ethiopian Community Centre in the UK conducted a study to explore the migration experiences of Ethiopian refugees in the UK and the impact of this on their health beliefs and behaviours. Data was collected via: i) semi-structured interviews were conducted with Ethiopians refugees and asylum seekers and Ethiopian professionals providing services for Ethiopian refugees; ii) a semi-structured questionnaire; iii) a documentary analysis of newspaper articles concerning refugees; and iv) an ethnohistory of Ethiopia. The findings revealed that Ethiopian refugees place a stronger emphasis on externalised factors influencing health (such as happiness and good social relations) than they did in Ethiopia. The study found that participants fled Ethiopia due to oppression, violence, fear and poverty; and once in the UK experience poor housing, unemployment, racism and isolation, all of which impact on their health status. Whilst it is difficult to ascertain how these factors affect health beliefs it is probable that these negative experiences and the consequent unhappiness they have caused have highlighted to them the relationship between health and subjective well-being, something that people who have not suffered such life traumas may take for granted. In the UK Ethiopian refugees are more likely to seek Western medicine than they did in Ethiopia, which reflects both acculturation and differences in health resources. This study highlights that Ethiopian refugees, require holistic health care that addresses all their needs--physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and social-cultural. Nurses should understand that many refugees have had traumatic experiences and continue to live in desperate circumstances. Thus nurses should be aware of the experiences, needs and beliefs of refugees and address their own cultural competence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Developing culturally competent researchers.

BACKGROUND: Whilst we live in multicultural societies most health researchers tend to take the cultural perspective of the majority ethnic group at the expense of the perspective of minority ethnic groups. AIM: This paper discusses the need for the development of culturally competent health researchers in all areas of research and proposes a model for the achievement of this. DESIGN: A snapshot review of research textbooks used in nursing curricula was conducted to identify whether culturally competent research was being promoted. RESULTS: The review found that whilst a few textbooks touched on ethnicity, race and culture, none of them addressed the issue of cultural competence. Subsequently the authors adapted their existing model of culturally competent health care practice, and in this paper they propose it as a model for the development of culturally competent researchers. DISCUSSION: The model put forward by the authors consists of four concepts: cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence. A culturally competent researcher is one who is able to apply the related skills and knowledge in project design, data collection, analysis, report writing and dissemination. Furthermore, the authors identify two layers of cultural competence, those of culture-generic (knowledge and skills that are applicable across ethnic groups) and culture-specific competence (knowledge and skills that relate to a particular ethnic group). The relationship between these two layers is a dynamic and spiralling process as illustrated by the model. CONCLUSION: Current health policy in many developed countries focuses on inequalities of health and managing diversity, including ethnicity. Thus the authors conclude that the development of culturally competent researchers will lead to both valid research and culturally competent practice by health care professionals.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗