A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers

Abstract

The internal turmoil, that broke out in Syria, started a mass migration movement towards Turkey in 2011. This migration movement, which proved to be an important social phenomenon, individuals from many different cultures have experienced coexistence for compulsory reasons. On top of that experience they were subjected to, the addition of a highly complicated process of acculturation, and the risk factors which immigrants and ethnic minority groups faced caused them to classify as vulnurable regarding health. The aim of this study is to assess how the preferred acculturation strategy of Syrian asylum seekers, who found themselves living along with different cultures, their negative or positive experiences and the risk factors they face affects their health, and health perceptions. The research was designed as a phenomenological research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 participants, who were included in the study, using the purposive sampling strategies, homogeneous case sampling and criterion sampling technique. In addition to the usage of code book obtained from the literary works related to the field using the deductive method, the data recorded by observing and the notes from interviews were reduced to themes, categories and codes using the inductive method. The study is grouped under three main themes, namely acculturation strategy of Syrian asylum seekers, risk factors affecting the healths of Syrian asylum seekers and health perception of Syrian asylum seekers. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out by using descriptive analysis and content analysis provided in the MAXQDA 2020 pro-package program. Although the participants heavily express their opinions in favor of seperationg strategy, which is one of the acculturation strategies, this is followed by an integration strategy. Furthermore, the participants were observed to have been subjected to discrimination and rejection, and in this process, facing risk factors mainly social, psychological, environmental, physical and barriers affecting healthcare procurement. Multiple relational analysis show that an intense relationship was found between the participants who preferred the separatist strategy and the risk factors affecting their health. It was observed that the participants who reported good health perception before migrating; due to the most reported social risk factor, economic barriers, reported negative health perception after migrating. The majority of participants who preferred the integration strategy reported good health perception both before and after migration.