Abstract
Session presented on Saturday, July 26, 2014:
Purpose: To explore how Chinese women who immigrated to Canada in the last 5 years access and use maternity care services, their support system and postpartum emotional well being. Background: Culturally and linguistically appropriate health care is suggested by many researchers as a necessity for all immigrants in Canada. Relatively little research examines the access and use of maternity care services by immigrant women in Canada, especially Chinese immigrants. Chinese women practice special culture-based behaviours and eat a special diet during pregnancy and postpartum. Exploring these cultural practices and preferences will contribute to the body of knowledge related to immigrant women's maternity care and will help inform culturally sensitive care for Chinese women who live in Canada.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used. Thirty participants were recruited from the Chinese community in Toronto, Canada after obtaining ethical approval. Eligible participants were Chinese new immigrant women (< five years) who resided in Toronto, fluent in English or Mandarin, within two to six months after delivering their baby. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (Cox, Holden, & Sagovsky, 1987) and the Ontario Mother and Infant Survey II: Part H-Satisfaction with services were used to assess risk of postpartum depression, health and social service needs and utilization patterns. A demographic data questionnaire was also filled out by the participants. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 21.0.
Results: Chinese immigrant women preferred to receive care from Chinese healthcare providers, with an obstetrician over a midwife. They received appropriate pregnant information, such as physical changes, nutrition, and exercise, through oral or written form. The information was provided in both English and Chinese, while preferred Chinese. Half of the Chinese immigrant women manifested possible postpartum depression. Women with own mother as a key helper had lower depression than women with husband as a key helper. Women demonstrated lower postpartum depression when they were more satisfied with the health service in the community.
Conclusion: Although the sample size was small, the result of this preliminary study enhanced our knowledge and understanding of Chinese women's utilization of maternity health services. Improving access to postpartum health service in the community was emphasized and recommended. Health care professionals should acknowledge that a linguistically and culturally sensitive maternity service played an important role in Chinese women's searching information and emotional wellbeing during pregnant and postpartum period.
Sigma Membership
Unknown
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Postpartum Depression, Health and Social Services Utilization, Chinese
Recommended Citation
Lee, Tsorng-Yeh, "Health and social service utilization and postpartum depression among childbearing Chinese new immigrants in Canada" (2014). INRC (Congress). 136.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2014/posters_2014/136
Conference Name
25th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Hong Kong
Conference Year
2014
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Health and social service utilization and postpartum depression among childbearing Chinese new immigrants in Canada
Hong Kong
Session presented on Saturday, July 26, 2014:
Purpose: To explore how Chinese women who immigrated to Canada in the last 5 years access and use maternity care services, their support system and postpartum emotional well being. Background: Culturally and linguistically appropriate health care is suggested by many researchers as a necessity for all immigrants in Canada. Relatively little research examines the access and use of maternity care services by immigrant women in Canada, especially Chinese immigrants. Chinese women practice special culture-based behaviours and eat a special diet during pregnancy and postpartum. Exploring these cultural practices and preferences will contribute to the body of knowledge related to immigrant women's maternity care and will help inform culturally sensitive care for Chinese women who live in Canada.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used. Thirty participants were recruited from the Chinese community in Toronto, Canada after obtaining ethical approval. Eligible participants were Chinese new immigrant women (< five years) who resided in Toronto, fluent in English or Mandarin, within two to six months after delivering their baby. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (Cox, Holden, & Sagovsky, 1987) and the Ontario Mother and Infant Survey II: Part H-Satisfaction with services were used to assess risk of postpartum depression, health and social service needs and utilization patterns. A demographic data questionnaire was also filled out by the participants. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 21.0.
Results: Chinese immigrant women preferred to receive care from Chinese healthcare providers, with an obstetrician over a midwife. They received appropriate pregnant information, such as physical changes, nutrition, and exercise, through oral or written form. The information was provided in both English and Chinese, while preferred Chinese. Half of the Chinese immigrant women manifested possible postpartum depression. Women with own mother as a key helper had lower depression than women with husband as a key helper. Women demonstrated lower postpartum depression when they were more satisfied with the health service in the community.
Conclusion: Although the sample size was small, the result of this preliminary study enhanced our knowledge and understanding of Chinese women's utilization of maternity health services. Improving access to postpartum health service in the community was emphasized and recommended. Health care professionals should acknowledge that a linguistically and culturally sensitive maternity service played an important role in Chinese women's searching information and emotional wellbeing during pregnant and postpartum period.