DISSERTATION: mixed-methods (quantitative & qualitative)

How does immigration type differentially impact birth outcomes among native-born and foreign-born Black women in the United States?

The first chapter of my dissertation expands on my master’s thesis examination of native- and foreign- born Black mothers. I take the six largest cities in Ohio to examine the impact of nativity. Because birth certificate data does not include immigration status of the mother, I made a proxy variable to capture refugee and non-refugee mothers by cross listing countries that Ohio granted refugees entrance for the years that I had data for (2006-2013). This allowed me to approximate the mothers in my data set that were refugees. After constructing this variable, I ran multilevel logistic regression models and found that refugees, compared to non-refugees foreign-born Black mothers, were less likely to experience low birth weight. This finding peaked my interest and I started to wonder why might refugees be displaying better health outcomes? Was it something about their communities? Was it behaviors? These two questions led me to start a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with refugee women in central Ohio to get a better understanding of their context and their personal perceptions.

For the qualitative component of my dissertation, I chose to conduct in-depth interviews with refugee women in Central Ohio. This area is home to the second largest Somali population outside of Minneapolis, MN. I had been volunteering at a community center and decided to start interviewing the women I was working with to further the research and knowledge we have on refugee populations and health. I developed a research plan, submitted an IRB application, received research funding through Ohio State University Mobility Project Grant ($1000) and Ohio State University Department of Sociology Silverman Grant ($600) to conduct interviews. Between spring/summer 2018, I conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with refugee women ages 18-68. The experience was illuminating both academically and personally. The interview data were transcribed with the help of a 3-person undergraduate research team and then themed using NVIVO software. My second and third chapters looked at critical themes surrounding two general concepts—social community & context and individual identity.

How do refugees engage and access informal and formal networks to enhance social supports within their new society? 

To explore my first question, relating to refugee context, I asked questions about the friends, family, and community the women had when they first resettled in the area and who they have today. There were two main types of social support: informal (friends and family) and formal (institutions) that played a large role in their every day lives. The findings of this chapter deepen knowledge of the importance of community for refugees during the initial resettlement period and throughout adjusting to new realities and new expectations.

How do identities play a role in perceptions of health and health behavior for refugees?  

Identity plays such a critical role for an individual. The final chapter of my dissertation dissects this concept specifically for the refugee women interviewed. My sample of Somali refugee women introduced three critical identities: being Muslim, being Somali, and being refugees. These identities influenced overall perceptions as well as those specifically related to health and health behaviors. The themes analyzed in this chapter illuminate the importance of identity for these women and how they influence decision making surrounding health.