Date of Conferral

1-1-2011

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Ronald Hudak

Abstract

Cultural beliefs on healthcare in the 21st century by the African immigrants in the United States have contributed to the severity of illnesses in their communities. The results of this research identified the healthcare barriers experienced by members of the Bronx Ghanaian Immigrant Muslim Community (BGIMC) in New York City. The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of education, immigration status, health insurance status, and cultural beliefs on the BGIMC members' perceived access and willingness to use healthcare services for various ailments. A sample of 156 male and female members of the BGIMC completed the survey questionnaire. The study was grounded in the conceptual frameworks of critical theory and complexity theory. The results of logistic and linear multiple regressions indicated that those with insurance were 9 times more likely to report that they had access to healthcare than those who did not have insurance. Additionally, those with health insurance were almost 7 times more likely to report using healthcare services in the past 12 months. Results of the multiple linear regressions indicated that immigration status, health insurance status, and education levels did not predict willingness to use healthcare when an arm was broken, nor did they predict willingness to use healthcare for a severe fever. However, immigration status, health insurance status, and education levels did predict willingness to use healthcare when experiencing dizziness. Understanding the social and cultural factors related to use of health care services will lead to tailored health insurance and access initiatives for the BGIMC; this increased understanding will also promote positive social change in their community and serve as a model for other African communities in the United States.

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