Ideas of masculinities in Latin America and their influences on immigrant men's attitudes toward health: prostate cancer prevention, an analysis of the literature

Professionals and policy makers in a host society should pay attention to Latin American countries ideas of masculinities because a significant proportion of men from these countries become immigrants Social and health professionals need culture-specific information on ideas of masculinities to ensure that their educational approaches are appropriate for immigrant populations The literature analysis in this article is a first step towards answering this need In analyzing Latin American literature we aimed to identify ideas of masculinities that might influence immigrant mens attitudes towards prostate cancer and to uncover possible differences between the literature reviewed and the English-language literature available to professionals Over 52 online reports articles and books (from 1991-2007) in Spanish and Portuguese were examined The thematic analysis method was used to guide reading, retrieval, and conceptual classification into 60 topics Articles and books in English (from 2002-2008) were also examined In the literature from Latin America discourse about plural forms of masculinity co-exists with discourse about traditional masculinity We identified an interactions / rights / affectivity triad that implies collective responsibility for promoting mens health In the English-language literature, a persistent traditional view of masculinity may mask other aspects of these mens lives limiting the scope of recommendations for professional practice Mens health policies and preventive campaigns, should take into account the ideas of masculinities particular to the nature and territories of social interaction of Latin American immigrant men Questions about incorporation / resistance to immigrant men's values in a host society remained unanswered in this analysis73259269Writing Week Initiative, Faculty of Community Services Deans Office Ryerson Universit

Susciter chez les professionnels une prise de conscience critique des enjeux liés à la littératie en santé pour des francophones en situation de minorité linguistique en Ontario

Introduction Nous avons procédé à une évaluation qualitative des changements immédiats sur les plans de l'apprentissage et de l'attitude chez des professionnels de la santé et des services sociaux ayant participé à un atelier visant à susciter une réflexion critique sur la littératie en santé des Franco-Ontariens en situation de minorité linguistique. Méthodologie L'étude a été réalisée auprès de 41 professionnels francophones de la santé et des services sociaux. L'animatrice de l'atelier a utilisé des objets évocateurs pour susciter la réflexion sur la littératie en santé. Les sources de données étaient les enregistrements audio des discussions de groupes et les formulaires de rétroaction remplis par les participants. Résultats L'étude a révélé que l'atelier avait suscité chez les participants une prise de conscience à propos de la littératie en santé et les avait incités à promouvoir la littératie en santé dans leur pratique professionnelle. L'atelier a aussi élargi la vision de la littératie en santé qu'avaient les participants à sa dimension de déterminant social de la santé qui agit en synergie avec la culture, l'âge, le statut à l'égard de l'immigration, le soutien social et le statut socioéconomique. Conclusion Les professionnels ont estimé que la prise de conscience des problèmes de littératie en santé relevait d'une responsabilité collective. Cela corrobore notre hypothèse selon laquelle une pédagogie critique appliquée à la formation continue stimule chez les professionnels la prise de conscience de leur capacité à vouloir changer leur pratique et leur milieu de travail. </sec

Awakening professionals' critical awareness of health literacy issues within a francophone linguistic-minority population in Ontario

Introduction We carried out a qualitative evaluation of immediate learning and attitudinal change among health care and social services professionals who attended a workshop promoting critical reflection about health literacy among linguistic-minority Franco-Ontarians. Methods The study involved 41 francophone health care and social services professionals. The workshop facilitator used evocative objects to elicit reflection on health literacy. Data sources were audio-recordings of group discussions and feedback forms completed by participants. Results The study found that the workshop awakened participants' awareness of health literacy and stimulated them to promote health literacy in their professional practice. The workshop also broadened participants' vision of health literacy as a social determinant of health that interacts synergistically with culture, age, immigration status, social support, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion Professionals expressed their awakened awareness of health literacy as collective accountability. This corroborates our claim that critical pedagogy applied to in-service education effectively stimulates professionals' awareness of their potential to change their practice and work environment. </sec