Vestfold College

Abstract

This paper is about health promotion and the life situation of immigrant mothers with small children (age of six and below). In Norway it is common practice that parents make use of seeing the public health nurse in a maternal and child health centre from the baby is born until the age of six. The public health nurse is responsible for the health care program to the families. The presentation in this paper is twofold. The first is a theoretical discussion about encounters between health personell and immigrant families. The relationship between lay people and expert systems is referred to by Anthony Giddens as one who involves the building of trust. Experts have a supervising role and control is one of their functions. One of the questions which is raised is how the nurse can build trust among immigrant families.

The next part of the presentation is about a research project conducted among immigrant mothers, based partly upon earlier work in the same field. The focus in this ongoing project is upon health, identity and life-situation of the immigrant mothers who make use of the maternal and child health centre. The aim of the project is to get a better understanding of health promotion and health care programs in relation to immigrant families, from the perspective of the immigrant mothers.The question raised in relation to this project is how the fact that people come from other ethnic groups and cultures affects the communication of the participants in the maternal and child health centre.

In the latest years the issue of the users’ participation in the health care program has been a central theme in the public health care in Norway. The public health nurse put wight upon an interactive mode in the conversations with parents and the parents own experiences are meant to be central in the guidance from the nurse. The third question in this paper is therefore how the public health nurse can make use of the resources of the immigrant mothers in the health care program to the families.

The research project is conducted for the present time in various maternal and child health centers in a county in Norway. The research method is qualitative and involves participant observation in groups with norwegian and immigrant mothers. Interviews with immigrant mothers are conducted in their home. Results from the project will be available in september 1998.

Keywords

Migration, Health promotion, Immigrant mothers, Identity, Cooperation

Contact

Viken Berit

Institution

Vestfold College

Postaddress

Skiringsalsgt. 9a

City

P.O. Box 2243

Country

N-3103 Tønsberg

E-mail

Berit.Viken@hive.no

Phone

+ 47 33 03 12 67

Fax

+ 47 33 03 12 90