Prenatal Care Barriers Among Immigrant Women in Canada: A Scoping Review
摘要
Immigrants in Canada make up more than 20% of the population. Despite the growing number of immigrants in the country, there remain gaps in culturally competent and adequate healthcare for immigrant mothers. The main objective of this study was to identify the gaps in prenatal care of immigrant women in Canada.
MethodsA scoping review was carried out using Embase, Medline and PsycINFO between 2011 and 2022. Information on barriers to prenatal care was extracted. Only studies that were carried out in Canada and in English were included in the review. The methodological framework for the scoping review was adapted from Arksey and O’Malley.
ResultsA total of 17 articles were included in the study after inclusion and exclusion criteria were met. Cultural and institutional factors affected mothers’ access to prenatal healthcare, as well as perception of prenatal care in the Canadian healthcare system. Common obstacles were cultural, community capacity, and personal agency.
ConclusionHaving culturally competent healthcare and more focus on service needs tailored for different ethnic groups in rural and remote areas could reduce barriers to prenatal care for immigrant women in Canada.
Significance