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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
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334406
Barriers to Healthcare for Myanmar Refugees in Grand Rapids, Michigan


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Kyaw Zin Win, Master of Health Administration (MHA), School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
Lara Jaskiewicz, PhD, MBA, MPH, School of Public, Nonprofit, and Health Administration, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
Thinzar Wai, Master of Health Administration (MHA), School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
  
Background: Refugees face a variety of health challenges due to issues such as cultural differences and distrust of authoritative figures. While the United States accepts refugees from around the world, little is known about the challenges faced by refugees from Myanmar. The area around Grand Rapids, MI, is one of the locations where many Myanmar refugees are settled.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at four churches in 2014. Adults aged 18 and older were surveyed in English and two Myanmar languages (n=144). The instrument survey included sociodemographic variables and 15 questions on barriers to healthcare. Descriptive, chi-square, and generalized linear model analyses were performed.

Results: The majority of respondents are unemployed (72.2%) and have lived in the U.S. for more than 2 years (57.7%). The proportion of barriers reported for those who have lived in the U.S. longer than 2 years is lower than those who have lived in the U.S. less than two years by .089 (8.9%; p<0.05).

Conclusion: These outcomes indicate that length of stay is an important factor to consider when working to increase access to healthcare by Myanmar refugees. The findings will support local healthcare and social services in their planning to implement better services for new immigrants.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Define the barriers refugees face when accessing healthcare after resettlement in the US. Discuss the challenges of connecting Myanmar refugees to healthcare services.

Keyword(s): Refugees, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate student studying Master in Health Administration. When I did clinical observership, I found out that Myanmar refugees are facing difficulties in accessing health care. My study has been approved by IRB at GVSU.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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