"All I know is that there is a lot of discrimination": Older African immigrants' experiences of discrimination in the United States.
Manka Nkimbeng, Janiece L Taylor, Laken Roberts and 5 others
PMID 33283756WHAT IT FOUND
Older African immigrants described frequent discrimination, especially about accents, unfair everyday treatment and healthcare encounters.
They said it caused anger, anxiety and money losses, and they managed by ignoring, confronting or avoiding it.
Key findings
01Participants reported accent-based discrimination and unfair treatment in everyday activities, including healthcare encounters.
02They described emotional consequences such as anger, upset, nervousness and anxiety, and financial consequences such as earning less, missing promotions or leaving jobs.
03They managed discrimination by turning a blind eye to it, actively reacting to it, or avoiding it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
These findings come from 15 English-speaking older African immigrants in one metropolitan area, so they may not apply to non-English speakers, other African countries, or other U.S. regions. All participants had at least one mobility limitation and were selected from a larger study of functional limitations, so experiences may differ for older African immigrants without mobility limitations. Only 26 of 92 enrolled participants were selected for interviews and 15 were interviewed, so the qualitative sample may not represent the larger group. The study was descriptive and did not test any intervention, so it cannot show what reduces discrimination or improves health.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata lists research support from the U.S. National Institutes of Health extramural programs and from non-U.S. government sources. No author conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that cultural awareness or assessment reduces discriminatory experiences. The study only described older African immigrants' experiences and did not test any intervention.