Access impediments to health care and social services between Anglophone and Francophone African immigrants living in Philadelphia with respect to HIV/AIDS.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the social and cultural differences between Anglophone and Francophone African immigrants which define the impediments that Francophone African immigrants face trying to access health and human services in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


METHODS
Surveys and personal interviews were administered to participants in social events, community meetings, and health centers. A Chi-squared analysis was used to contrast the communities.


RESULTS
Francophone Africans demonstrated less acculturation, education, English fluency, and more legal documentation problems, and thus face greater challenges accessing health care. Anglophone Africans had a higher level of acculturation, fewer language problems, and perceived fewer barriers in accessing health care than Francophone Africans.


CONCLUSIONS
Educating new immigrants, through a more culturally sensitive infectious disease treatment and prevention program, is integral to achieving a higher access and utilization rates of available services; especially in recent Francophone immigrants. A larger study is needed to extend the findings to other cities where immigrants with similar backgrounds or acculturation issues reside.
Simbiri
Kenneth Omollo A
KO
Department of Public Health, Temple University School of Medicine, 1900 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. simbiri@mail.med.upenn.edu
Hausman
Alice
A
Wadenya
Rose O
RO
Lidicker
Jeffrey
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015143:Philadelphia; D012947:Social Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult