Open AccessExploring Participation and Interaction in a Bottom-Up Health Promotion Program for Migrant Women in Norway
Author(s) -
Yan Zhao,
Trude Gjernes,
Marianne Hedlund
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
qualitative health research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.303
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1552-7557
pISSN - 1049-7323
DOI - 10.1177/1049732320980397
Subject(s) - norwegian , health promotion , public relations , focus group , qualitative research , health care , context (archaeology) , health equity , political science , psychology , sociology , social science , geography , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , anthropology , law
In this article, we examine the participation and interactions of migrant women and experts who attended health parties. Based on data from participation observations and semi-structured interviews from participants of health parties, we examine how health parties may be considered an innovative bottom-up community program that could influence how migrant women focus, learn, and discuss health issues as well as interact with health care. Through a qualitative analysis, the article demonstrates two ways of organizing health parties and different approaches to the health expert role, and how this impacts the social setting and interactions of a health party. In the Norwegian setting, migrant women are considered by health authorities to be the most difficult group to reach due to cultural and language barriers. Health parties may represent an alternative for bridging these barriers and may create a useful context for active participation and learning about health for migrant women.