American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Research articleBuilding Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships with a Somali Refugee Community
Section snippets
History of Somali Refugee Resettlement in the U.S
The number of African-born immigrants to the U.S. increased 142% (from 363,000 to 881,300) between 1990 and 2000.1 After the onset of civil war in 1991, thousands of Somali refugees have resettled in the U.S., making them the single largest African refugee group to enter this nation.1, 2 Based on 2008 estimates by Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, officials, there are 35,000–80,000 Somali immigrants and refugees residing in central Ohio,3 making it the nation's second largest Somali
Community Dialogue
The Midwest Network on Female Genital Cutting (MWNFGC) was formed in 2005 as a collaboration of health professionals, representatives from community-based organizations, refugee resettlement agencies, and immigration law experts across the Midwest, working together to identify the growing needs of immigrant and refugee populations of girls and women affected by or at risk for FGC in Minneapolis, Columbus, and Chicago. The MWNFGC fosters ongoing dialogue across communities and institutions aimed
Partnership Development and Community Mobilization
The presented results delineate the process involved in establishing a community partnership with the Somali community using CBPR methods. From November 2005 to May 2007, a series of meetings was held with the RIWHI Community Advisory Board (CAB) both in Columbus and in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to determine the specific aims of a collaborative partnership. Over this 18-month period, the research design was constructed, reviewed, revamped in an iterative fashion, and ultimately agreed on by all
Discussion
This is the largest study to date in the literature of African-born immigrants in the U.S., which incorporates a community-based, mixed-methods approach to examine socio-cultural determinants of health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization. Our objective was to establish a dialogue with a Somali community, and to share the experiences and strategies used in the development and implementation of a CBPR effort to assess the unique healthcare needs of Somali women. A crucial aspect of this
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2022, ContraceptionCitation Excerpt :According to 2 studies, physicians were sometimes unable to provide clear explanations when interpreters were unfamiliar or uncomfortable with sexual health terminology [55,57]. While the problem may partially result from interpreters’ lack of specialized training [55], colloquial speech in many languages (including English) relies on euphemisms to discuss sexual anatomy and specific anatomic terms may have derogatory connotations [22,61]. Moreover, literal translations of common English phrases like “birth control” may imply permanent rather than temporary prevention of pregnancy and several studies suggested “birth spacing” as a more precise alternative [9,26,55].