Affiliation:
1. School of Population Health Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia
2. Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia
Abstract
AbstractIntroductionCulturally and linguistically diverse population groups disproportionately experience higher weight and other non–weight‐related discrimination in healthcare settings outside of their ancestral country. Little is known about the experiences of individuals with Arab heritage. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the intersectional weight‐related healthcare experiences of individuals of Arab heritage with higher weight in Australia.MethodsA general inductive enquiry approach was used. Purposive, convenience and snowball sampling was used to recruit individuals of Arab heritage residing in Australia. Individuals were invited to participate in an online semistructured interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.ResultsFifteen participants took part in the study. Of these participants, 93% were female (n = 14), 80% were aged between 18 and 44 years (n = 12), 73% were university educated (n = 11), 53% were born outside of Australia (n = 8) and all were Muslim (n = 15). Four main themes were identified: (1) appearance‐based judgement, (2) generalised advice and assumptions, (3) cultural responsiveness and (4) healthcare system constraints.ConclusionIndividuals of Arab heritage with higher weight in Australia, namely, females, often perceive their healthcare experiences as dismissive of their cultural and religious needs and driven by causality assumptions around weight. It is crucial that care delivered encompasses cultural humility, is weight‐inclusive and acknowledges systemic constraints. Cultural safety training benchmarks, healthcare management reform and weight‐inclusive healthcare approaches are recommended to assist healthcare providers in delivering effective, holistic and culturally safe care.Patient or Public ContributionInsights gained from conversations with Arab heritage community members with lived experiences regarding weight‐related healthcare encounters informed the study design and approach.
Reference60 articles.
1. “Review of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights: Consultation Report (Phase 2) ” Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care published 2019 https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-08/consultation_report_phase_2_review_of_the_australian_charter_of_healthcare_rights_august_2019.pdf.
2. The Determinants of Access to Healthcare: A Review of Individual, Structural, and Systemic Factors;Tzenios N.;Journal of Humanities and Applied Science Research,2019
3. The lived experience of patients with obesity: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis
4. Weight stigma experienced by patients with obesity in healthcare settings: A qualitative evidence synthesis
5. “Weight Stigma ” World Obesity Federation accessed November 11 2023 https://www.worldobesity.org/resources/policy-dossiers/weight-stigma#:~:text=Weight%20stigma%20includes%20the%20negative in%20a%20number%20of%20settings.