title: Healthcare needs of older Arab migrants: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the healthcare needs of older Arab migrants, focussing on Arab-Australians and their socio-cultural characteristics.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Disparities in accessing healthcare services and addressing healthcare needs are evident among ethnic minorities including Arab migrants, particularly, older people. Racial stereotyping can also affect their ability to use these services. Arabs are a populous and diverse group with a long history of global migration. Australia is one of the most multicultural societies in the world, and Arab-Australians constitute an important ethnic minority group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  The electronic databases Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), Ageline, ProQuest, CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were searched from 1990-October 2012. Search terms included health care needs, aged care, ethnic, cultural, linguistics, social, ethnic groups, culturally and linguistically diverse, nonEnglish speaking, ageing, elderly, Arabs, Arabic-speaking and Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight articles reviewing the healthcare issues of Australians from Arabic-speaking background were identified using the search strategy. An additional eight articles were identified through hand searching.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial stereotyping can alter health-seeking behaviours and healthcare treatment. Increasing the understanding of specific cultural attributes of Arab-Australians will contribute to improving health outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare providers and policymakers need to adopt more effective ways of communication with Arab-Australians to provide more culturally competent care and achieve better health outcomes.
authors: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Naser A
authors: NA
authors: Al Abed
authors: Patricia M
authors: PM
authors: Davidson
authors: Louise D
authors: LD
authors: Hickman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018912:Arabs / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D014171:Transients and Migrants
keywords: Arabic; aged care; culturally and linguistically diverse; elderly; ethnic groups; healthcare needs; migrants health; nonEnglish speaking; socio-cultural