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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2/2012

01-04-2012 | Original Paper

Communication and Cultural Issues in Providing Reproductive Health Care to Immigrant Women: Health Care Providers’ Experiences in Meeting Somali Women Living in Finland

Authors: Filio Degni, Sakari Suominen, Birgitta Essén, Walid El Ansari, Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 2/2012

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Abstract

Communication problems due to language and cultural differences between health care professionals and patients are widely recognized. Finns are described as more silent whereas one concurrent large immigrant group, the Somalis, are described as more open in their communication. The aim of the study was to explore physicians-nurses/midwives’ communication when providing reproductive and maternity health care to Somali women in Finland. Four individual and three focus group interviews were carried out with 10 gynecologists/obstetricians and 15 nurses/midwives from five selected clinics. The health care providers considered communication (including linguistic difficulties), cultural traditions, and religious beliefs to be problems when working with Somali women. Male and female physicians were generally more similar in communication style, interpersonal contacts, and cultural awareness than the nurses/midwives who were engaged in more partnership-building with the Somali women in the clinics. Despite the communication and cultural problems, there was a tentative mutual understanding between the Finnish reproductive health care professionals and the Somali women in the clinics.
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Metadata
Title
Communication and Cultural Issues in Providing Reproductive Health Care to Immigrant Women: Health Care Providers’ Experiences in Meeting Somali Women Living in Finland
Authors
Filio Degni
Sakari Suominen
Birgitta Essén
Walid El Ansari
Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen
Publication date
01-04-2012
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 2/2012
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9465-6

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Erratum

Erratum to: Communication and Cultural Issues in Providing Reproductive Health Care to Immigrant Women: Health Care Providers’ Experiences in Meeting the Needs of Somali Women Living in Finland