Refugees’ Perceptions of Health and Healthcare Accessibility

In recent years, the United States has set the lowest caps for refugees able to enter the country than any other time in our nation’s history. These changing policies are resulting in funding cuts for refugee resettlement organizations that help support refugees in all areas, including healthcare. Because of this, healthcare disparities and barriers for this population are becoming increasingly apparent. While research has identified the major barriers and disparities for refugees in healthcare, the impact of culture on refugees’ perceptions of healthcare has not been researched. This thesis seeks to determine the cultural differences, if any, in perceptions of health and healthcare among resettled refugees from different countries of origin. Refugees' perceptions were studied through thematic analysis of eleven semi-structured interviews. These interviews were conducted with refugees from different countries of origin, regarding their experiences and perceptions of health and healthcare in their home country compared to in the United States. Qualitative analysis of interview responses indicated language differences and financial cost as main driving factors in all individuals’ health perceptions, regardless of country of origin. Gaining a better understanding of the cultural perceptions of health and healthcare may help healthcare providers more effectively treat this population.Social Wor