Health promotion with Cape Verdean immigrant women in a context of community violence

Background

Epidemiological trends confirm that there is a disproportionate number of women, especially poor, immigrant, refugee, and visible minority women who experience disease, disability, and premature death in the U.S. For Cape Verdean women in the U.S., as with many immigrant women, context impacts health. One type of stress that has been studied in relation to health of urban communities is “neighborhood disadvantage,” which is characterized by the presence of a number of community-level stressors, including poverty, unemployment, substandard housing, and high crime and violence rates. Such stress is chronic and can affect all members of a community in a given environment regardless of their individual-level risks.

Objective

The aim of this study was to gain a contextual understanding reflective of the epistemological standpoint and practice of community-based health promoters who work with marginalized, low-income immigrant women of color.

Methods

In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Cape Verdean women health promoters about their perspectives and experiences of health promotion practice with immigrant women in their community. Glaserian grounded theory was used to analyze the interviews.

Results

Findings indicated that immigrant women's health is negatively influenced by a context of community and structural violence.

Conclusions

The findings challenge health researchers and practitioners to not only understand health promotion at an individual level, but also at a community level: health at the individual level is linked to a “peace process” at the community level.