Community Agency Health Promotion Capacity for Ethno-Culturally Diverse Immigrant Women: Qualitative Interviews

High rates of international migration must be addressed by healthcare systems. In particular, immigrant women lack access to and quality of care. Community-based health promotion may be one way to reach immigrant women. The aim of this study was to explore the capacity of immigrant settlement agencies for health promotion to immigrant women. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with immigrant women and community agency managers to discuss current and required health promotion capacity based on the New South Wales Framework, and identified themes using content analysis. We interviewed 24 immigrant women and 22 staff from 20 immigrant settlement agencies across Canada. Women and agency staff largely agreed on the need to develop the workforce (staff type and qualifications), acquire resources (human, physical, financial) dedicated to health promotion, establish external partnerships with academic, healthcare and other community organizations, create policies and strategies specific to health promotion, and choose and train leaders with interpersonal and technical skills. In addition, women underscored the need to tailor health promotion programs and services to women, and to enhance access to community-based health promotion by raising awareness via diverse media and government settlement agencies, and supporting participation by paying for transportation to community agencies or providing programs and services virtually or in multiple convenient locations. Action is needed to integrate these findings into policy that supports community-based health promotion, and into community agency policies and strategies. Ongoing research is needed to establish optimal community agency health promotion models and impact. Ultimately, community agency health promotion may reduce healthcare inequities, and lead to improved health and wellness among immigrant women.