Barriers and Challenges of Immigrant Women’s Access and Experience of Optimal Maternity Care: A Systematic Review
ZHU, Claire
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/2022IYRC70
Category: Social Science
Abstract – With an increase in immigrant populations, many healthcare systems are experiencing a new wave of ethnic-cultural diversity among patients. For the 48.1% of women among global migrants, maternal healthcare services are often the first level of contact with new healthcare systems in countries of resettlement. However, immigrants face many barriers, from language to a lack of awareness of service options and culturally appropriate care. As maternal care requires frequent contact with health care services through all stages of pregnancy, ensuring the quality of care is important to protect maternal and infant health. Using a systematic review method analyzing 17 articles from PubMed and Google Scholar in the past 20 years, 3 overarching themes were identified: lack of access to prenatal care, cultural insensitivity during in-hospital settings, and challenge in identifying and experiencing post-partum depression. This literature review reveals the broader influences and contextual variables in maternity care and highlights problems relating to the acceptability and accessibility of maternity services for immigrant women. Overall, the articles included reveals the importance of considering immigrants’ socio-cultural context of childbirth practices, creating more accessible prenatal classes, and addressing disparities in postpartum depression. This knowledge can inform better practices and gaps to fill to improve maternal health experiences.