Dialogue between researchers and older immigrant women in Norway after the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploration of their experience.

Abstract

Background: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, marginalized groups, particularly older immigrant women, have faced exacerbated challenges, prompting an urgent need for research to understand their experiences after COVID-19 and foster an inclusive healthcare system. When their health needs are different from the general population, general interventions targeted at the entire population do not necessarily benefit them. Even though there is a need to address the emerging diversity in public health in an aging population, there are few studies on the health of older immigrant women and even less inviting them to co-production of evidence. In view of this, older immigrant women and researchers in Bergen have been in dialogue, holding monthly meetings for a year, with the aim of improving health knowledge for the women, and enlightening the researchers on the women’s plight.

Study aim: This study explores the experiences of the dialogue for both the immigrant women and the researchers. Specifically, how dialogue helps in angulating research to be relevant to the needs of the studied population, for the researchers, while improving health knowledge and empowering the immigrant women in their interactions with the health system.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory design with a social constructivist approach borrowing from Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory with dialogue as a central concept. The data was collected by participant observation in five dialogical meetings between the older immigrant women aged 50years and above, and researchers, followed by in-depth interviews of 8 older immigrant women and 7 researchers in Bergen. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings: Analysis yielded three main themes: knowledge gain, collaboration, and power dynamics, with related subthemes. The dialogue was seen as a positive experience by both older immigrant women and researchers, with both groups acquiring knowledge. However, the language barrier remained a challenge influencing communication for both groups in different ways. Notwithstanding, a mutual fostering of a trusting relationship and empowerment was reported, which also encourages user participation in research, for the women, and carrying out research that is relevant to this otherwise ‘invisible’ population to the health system, for researchers. Both groups of participants agreed on power balance being slightly skewed in favour of the researchers as seen by the assumed roles during the meetings.

Conclusion: The dialogue between older immigrant women and researchers proved mutually beneficial. The women gained a better understanding of their health problems and recognized their valuable role in informing researchers about their specific needs. This collaboration enhanced the relationship between the two groups and demonstrated the importance of engaging marginalized populations, like older immigrant women, in research. The study also supports health policies that promote diversity and recommends that dialogue with hard-to-reach populations should be a prerequisite in research involving them.