Midlife Transition Experiences of South Asian Immigrant Women in Canada: A Qualitative Exploration.
Ping Zou, Arzoo Alam, Jing Shao and 5 others
PMID 36775893WHAT IT FOUND
Twenty-two South Asian immigrant women in Canada described midlife as eight overlapping transitions: lifestyle, career, family, physical health, mental health, social, environment and personal growth.
They used exercise, faith, counselling and relationships, but wanted clearer community support.
Key findings
01South Asian immigrant women described their midlife in Canada as eight transitions: lifestyle, career, family, physical health, mental health, social life, environment and personal development.
02Women managed many of these changes through exercise, religion, counselling, positive thinking and social contact.
03Women said they needed more social, community and governmental support, and many did not know what services existed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and recruited in the Greater Toronto Area through community agencies, so it may not represent all South Asian immigrant women. Participants were primarily from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and recruitment of women from other South Asian countries was difficult. Qualitative methods cannot show that any suggested service, workplace change or health intervention caused a better midlife transition. The paper reports experiences and suggestions, not measured outcomes or effectiveness.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (grant number 430-2018-00220).
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the suggested community events, counselling, employer changes or government supports as proven ways to improve midlife transition. This qualitative study described what 22 women experienced and wanted; it did not test any intervention.