Inequities in health in minority communities: diagnosis of the situation among the Francophone immigrants of Sudbury

• Published in: Canadian journal of public health Vol. 104; no. 6 Suppl 1; pp. S75 - S78
• Main Authors: Hien, Amélie, Lafontant, Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: Switzerland 06.06.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Attitude to Health; Canada; Culture; Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology; Emigrants and Immigrants - statistics & numerical data; Female; Focus Groups; Health Services Accessibility; Health Status Disparities; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; Language; Male; Middle Aged; Minority Groups - psychology; Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data; Qualitative Research; Quality of Health Care; Young Adult; Canada; health care disparities; health services accessibility; language; Emigrants and immigrants; health care quality; minority group
• ISSN: 1920-7476
• DOI: 10.17269/cjph.104.3472

This article aims to uncover health inequities related not only to living in a linguistic minority, but also to being an immigrant and living in a new environment with a cultural background different from that of the host community. This qualitative study presents the personal experiences of many Francophone immigrants in relation to services and health care in Sudbury and their perception about the quality and accessibility of these services and health care. Seventy-two (72) respondents aged between 18 and 65 years (45 men and 27 women) participated in this research through individual interviews and focus groups. The results show, among other things, that being immigrant and Francophone limits access to health services, affects the quality of these services and hinders being well supported when encountering health problems. Thus some individuals are not even able to give informed consent when making important decisions about their own health. The article makes recommendations that would allow access to better services and health care for immigrants, and would contribute to improving the health of the Canadian population of which they are an integral part.