TY - JOUR
T1 - Newly arrived refugees’ perception of health and physical activity in Denmark
AU - Ryom, Knud
AU - Simonsen, Camilla Bakkær
AU - Rau, Stefan Runge
AU - Maindal, Helle Terkildsen
AU - Agergaard, Sine
N1 - © 2022 The Authors.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - Refugees health status after receiving asylum in their new country is often poor, both physical and mentally. Despite that, European countries rarely offer programmes specifically targeted health and health behaviour for newly arrived refugees. This study investigated newly arrived refugees’ perspective on health and in particularly physical activity (PA) upon granted asylum in Denmark. A transnational migration perspective provides the theoretical framework in this study. Semi-structured interviews with twenty newly arrived refugees provide data for the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Health manifests itself in varied ways to the newly arrived refugees and a broad and holistic perspective on health, was evident. Overall PA had important benefits, such as pain relief, better physical fitness, lose weight, a stronger body, to stay active, cater to mental health and in general something of interest to the newly arrived refugees. However, the informants experienced several barriers for doing PA and living healthy lives. Time, pain, low income, job insecurity, mental strain, discourse of health and PA (health promotion), external expectations and demands (municipality and government in Denmark), precariat living conditions and general worrying were amongst the most explicit barriers. In addition, the question of how the newly arrived refugees are positioned in their families seems vital, as patriarchal family structures seem to prevent some from doing PA. Based on the results, we underline the importance of involving refugees in developing health promotion activities while considering of their unique experiences and transnational background.
AB - Refugees health status after receiving asylum in their new country is often poor, both physical and mentally. Despite that, European countries rarely offer programmes specifically targeted health and health behaviour for newly arrived refugees. This study investigated newly arrived refugees’ perspective on health and in particularly physical activity (PA) upon granted asylum in Denmark. A transnational migration perspective provides the theoretical framework in this study. Semi-structured interviews with twenty newly arrived refugees provide data for the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Health manifests itself in varied ways to the newly arrived refugees and a broad and holistic perspective on health, was evident. Overall PA had important benefits, such as pain relief, better physical fitness, lose weight, a stronger body, to stay active, cater to mental health and in general something of interest to the newly arrived refugees. However, the informants experienced several barriers for doing PA and living healthy lives. Time, pain, low income, job insecurity, mental strain, discourse of health and PA (health promotion), external expectations and demands (municipality and government in Denmark), precariat living conditions and general worrying were amongst the most explicit barriers. In addition, the question of how the newly arrived refugees are positioned in their families seems vital, as patriarchal family structures seem to prevent some from doing PA. Based on the results, we underline the importance of involving refugees in developing health promotion activities while considering of their unique experiences and transnational background.
KW - Refugees
KW - Health
KW - Physical activity
KW - Transnational migration perspective
KW - Health promotion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130250658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100111
DO - 10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100111
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35601392
SN - 2666-6235
VL - 6
JO - Journal of Migration and Health
JF - Journal of Migration and Health
M1 - 100111
ER -