title: Health empowerment among immigrant women in transnational marriages in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a theory-based intervention designed to promote increased health empowerment for marriage migrant women in Taiwan. The rapid increase of international marriage immigration through matchmaking agencies has received great attention recently because of its impact on social and public health issues in the receiving countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A participatory action research (PAR) and in-depth interviews were adopted. Sixty-eight women participated in this study. Eight workshops of the health empowerment project were completed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through a PAR-based project, participants received positive outcomes. Four outcome themes were identified: (a) increasing health literacy, (b) facilitating capacity to build social networks, (c) enhancing sense of self-worth, and (d) building psychological resilience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PAR was a helpful strategy that enabled disadvantaged migrant women to increase their health literacy, psychological and social health, and well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings can be referenced by the government in making health-promoting policies for Southeast Asian immigrant women to increase their well-being. Community health nurses can apply PAR strategies to plan and design health promotion intervention for disadvantaged migrant women.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hsiu-Hung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fang-Hsin
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Miao-Ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pei-Chao
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003256:Community Participation; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011209:Power, Psychological; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Marriage migrant women; health empowerment; participatory action research