Nursing students' awareness of inequity in healthcare - An intersectional perspective.
OBJECTIVE
The overall aim of the present study was to explore awareness of inequity in healthcare and the intersection between different structures of power among nursing students. Another aim was to delineate the knowledge and use of Swedish Healthcare Direct in this group.


METHODS
The study had a descriptive design with a quantitative approach.


METHODS
The sample consisted of 157 nursing students from three universities in central Sweden.


METHODS
The students filled out a study specific questionnaire in class. The questionnaire consisted of short descriptions of twelve fictive persons who differed in gender, age, and ethnicity, with questions about their life situation. The mean was calculated for each assessed fictive person for every item. In the next step, the assessments were ranked from the lowest probability to the highest probability. A 'Good life-index' consisting of quality of life, power over own life, and experience of discrimination, was also calculated. Free text comments were analysed qualitatively.


RESULTS
People with Swedish names were assessed to have the highest probability of having a good life. Among those with Swedish names, the oldest woman was assessed as having the lowest probability of a good life. All students had knowledge about Swedish Healthcare Direct, but more female students had used the service compared to male students.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the nursing students had awareness of how power and gender, ethnicity and age, are related. Based on the free text comments, the questions and the intersectional perspective seemed to evoke some irritation which points to their sensitive nature. Therefore, the questionnaire could be used as a tool to start a discussion of equity in healthcare and in interventions where the aim is to raise awareness of inequality and intersectionality.
School of Health, Care, and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Box 883, SE-721 23 Västerås, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: inger.holmstrom@mdh.se.
Inger K
IK
Holmström
School of Health, Care, and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Box 883, SE-721 23 Västerås, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden.
Elenor
E
Kaminsky
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden.
Anna T
AT
Höglund
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden; Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, SE-80176 Gävle, Sweden.
Marianne
M
Carlsson
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001364:Awareness; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
Age; Equity in healthcare; Ethnicity; Gender; Intersectionality; Nursing students; Power; Telephone nursing