An Investigation of the Health Beliefs and Health Behaviors of Recent Soviet Jewish Immigrants
Loewenthal, Martha Weiner
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/71062
Description
Title
An Investigation of the Health Beliefs and Health Behaviors of Recent Soviet Jewish Immigrants
Author(s)
Loewenthal, Martha Weiner
Issue Date
1984
Department of Study
Health and Safety Education
Discipline
Health and Safety Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
Education, Health
Abstract
The study was undertaken to identify the health beliefs and health behaviors of recent Soviet Jewish immigrants to Chicago in order to respond to the health education needs of this population. The Health Belief Model provided the conceptual framework for the study. The four major areas investigated by this study were: (1) an examination of the Soviet health care system; (2) the identification of specific health beliefs held by the Soviet Jewish immigrants; (3) the identification of specific preventive health behaviors performed by Soviet immigrants; and (4) the relationship between the differing health beliefs and health behaviors of the Soviet Jewish immigrants and sociodemographic characteristics.
A review of the literature relevant to the immigrants' prior experiences with health care was conducted. Data about current health beliefs and behavior was obtained through a survey of 90 Soviet Jewish immigrants who had lived in the Chicago area for less than one year and were enrolled in English language classes.
The survey instrument was a self administered 187 item questionnaire. The SPSS computer program was used for analysis of the data. Frequency distributions were calculated for each of the variables. Cross-tabulations were calculated and chi square statistics tested for significance of differences between distributions. A stepwise discriminant function analysis was performed that examined the relationship between health status and predictor variables.
The following findings about this group of Soviet Jewish immigrants were reported: (1) health was of great importance; (2) the sample did not perceive itself to be healthy; (3) medical care was believed to be therapeutic; (4) heavy reliance on the medical care system was reported; (5) distinctions between major and minor illnesses were not made; (6) preventive health behaviors were believed to be effective in health maintenance; (7) a relationship was observed between the belief in the efficacy of a preventive health behavior and the performance of that behavior. Sociodemographic variables were significantly related to some of the findings.
Recommendations included the development of a health education program that would address the specific areas of deficit in the immigrants' knowledge and further investigation of the relationship between health beliefs and health behaviors.
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