Promoting Self-care Among African Immigrants with Chronic Diseases
In a new article for Penn LDI’s Health Policy$ense blog, Onome Henry Osokpo, PhD, MSc, MSN, RN, LDI Associate Fellow, Provost Postdoctoral Fellow for Academic Diversity, and Penn Nursing Postdoctoral Research Fellow, writes about the cultural and structural factors that affect self-care in African immigrants with chronic disease.
June 14, 2021As African immigrants settle in Europe and the United States, they experience rising rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, at levels not seen in their home countries. Self-care is key to managing these chronic illnesses, but this population may face cultural and societal challenges to adherence to recommended health practices.
In the Journal of Advanced Nursing, we report on the results of a systematic review, finding that an interplay of cultural and structural factors influences the self-care practices of African immigrants with chronic diseases. While cultural identity is a powerful influence, African immigrants also report systemic barriers to adopting self-care recommendations.
Click here to read the full blog post.