401021 Health seeking behavior of immigrant population (S) (SoSe 2011)

Course description:
The course will provide an overview of the health status of the immigrant population. It will focus on migration, resettlement, adaptation, epidemiological behavior change, as well as socioeconomic, legal, and political factors impacting health and care seeking behavior. Special attention will be given to health related entitlements and responsibilities inherent in citizenship and the examination of individual and social roles in the contemporary health issues affecting immigrant population especially women and marginalized sub population.
Purpose of the course:
The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with significant health and health service issues which currently (and for the foreseeable future) challenge the lives and adaptation of immigrants to the host society. The course will help the students to understand the cultural and communicative framework wherein the immigrant population utilizes the health care system of the host country.
Students’ learning objectives:
•Define and discuss the terms immigrant, refugee, legal and illegal alien, undocumented and documented immigrant, migrant worker, acculturation, and cultural adaptation
•Describe immigration resettlement patterns, trends and their abilities and orientations to mobilize and benefit from local health resources
•Describe cultural norms, health belief systems, strengths, and assets that immigrants and refugees bring with them
•Describe and compare the health status and health issues impacting on immigrant and refugee groups
•Study the care seeking behavior of the immigrant population and its impact on the utilization of the health care system
•Discuss the role of interpreters (as well as non-verbal communication) in clinical care and health promotion among non-German speakers
•Describe strategies designed to improve the health outcomes among the immigrant and refugee groups

Teaching strategies: Lectures, class discussions, student presentations, reading reviews, and papers

Literaturangaben

Will be suggested in the class