Discrimination and the health of immigrants and refugees: exploring Canada's evidence base and directions for future research in newcomer receiving countries.
Research and practice increasingly suggests discrimination compromises health. Yet the unique experiences and effects facing immigrant and refugee populations remain poorly understood in Canada and abroad. We review current knowledge on discrimination against newcomers in Canada, emphasizing impacts upon health status and service access to identify gaps and research needs. Existing knowledge centers around experiences within health-care settings, differences in perception and coping, mental health impacts, and debates about "non-discriminatory" health-care. There is need for comparative analyses within and across ethno-cultural groups and newcomer classes to better understand factors shaping how discrimination and its health effects are differentially experienced. Women receive greater attention in the literature given their compounded vulnerability. While this must continue, little is known about the experiences of youth and men. Governance and policy discourse analyses would elucidate how norms, institutions and practices shape discriminatory attitudes and responses. Finally, "non-discriminatory health-care" interventions require critical evaluation to determine their effectiveness.
School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster Institute of Environment and Health, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, GSB #206, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada. edges@mcmaster.ca
Sara
S
Edge
Bruce
B
Newbold
D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011287:Prejudice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*