The Health Consequences of Neocolonialism for Latin American Immigrant Women Working as Caregivers in Spain: A Multisite Qualitative Analysis.

In Spain, most jobs available for Latin American immigrant women are in intimate labour (caregiving and domestic work). This work is usually performed under informal employment conditions. The objective of this study was to explain how the colonial logic mediates the experiences of Latin American women working in intimate labour in Spain, and the effects of such occupation on their health and wellbeing, using a decolonial theoretical framework. A multi-site secondary data analysis of qualitative data from four previous studies was performed utilizing 101 interviews with Latin American immigrant women working as caregivers in Spain. Three interwoven categories show how the dominant colonial logic in Spain creates low social status and precarious jobs, and naturalizes intimate labour as their métier while producing detrimental physical and psychosocial health consequences for these immigrant caregivers. The caregivers displayed several strategies to resist and navigate intimate labour and manage its negative impact on health. Respect and integration into the family for whom they work had a buffering effect, mediating the effects of working conditions on health and wellbeing. Based on our analysis, we suggest that employment, social, and health protection laws and strategies are needed to promote a positive working environment, and to reduce the impact of caregiving work for Latin American caregivers.

Determinants of Subjective Social Status and Health Among Latin American Women Immigrants in Spain: A Qualitative Approach.

This qualitative study was carried out to better understand factors that determine the subjective social status of Latin Americans in Spain. The study was conducted following a theoretical framework and forms part of broader study on subjective social status and health. Ten immigrant participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, from which data were collected. The study results show that socioeconomic aspects of the crisis and of policies adopted have shaped immigrant living conditions in Spain. Four major themes that emerged from the analysis were related to non-recognition of educational credentials, precarious working conditions, unemployment and loneliness. These results illustrate the outcomes of current policies on health and suggest a need for health professionals to orient practices toward social determinants, thus utilizing evaluations of subjective social status to reduce inequalities in health.

Genealogy as a critical toolbox: deconstructing the professional identity of nurses.

AIM: To discuss the Foucauldian concept of genealogy as a framework for understanding and transforming nurses' professional identity. BACKGROUND: The professional identity of nurses has primarily been defined by personal and interpersonal attributes and by the intradisciplinary dimensions of nursing, leading to its conceptualization as a universal, monolithic phenomenon. The Foucauldian genealogical perspective offers a critical lens to examine what constitutes this professional identity; Spanish nursing offers a historical case study of an active effort to impose an identity that fits the monolithic ideal. DATA SOURCES: Five of the 33 professional conduct manuals for nurses' training published from 1956-1976 during the Franco dictatorship in Spain and six interviews with nursing instructors or students at the time were analysed using a theoretical framework drawn from Foucault's writing. DISCUSSION: Foucault's genealogical framework considers practices of normalization and resistance as a means of understanding knowledge continuities and discontinuities, clarifying practices that constitute nurses' professional identity in a particular way in specific contexts and analysing the implications of this theoretical frame. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The genealogy concept offers valuable tools to determine how professional identities are constituted, questions assumptions about the profession and its professionals and envisions alternative approaches. This theoretical approach helps both scholars and practitioners understand, question and transform their practices as needed. CONCLUSION: The genealogical approach prioritizes analysis of the phenomenon over its description and challenges many unknown, forgotten, excluded and/or unquestioned aspects of identity from a position of diversity and complexity.

Relationship between subjective social status and perceived health among Latin American immigrant women / Relação entre status social subjetivo e saúde percebida entre mulheres imigrantes latino-americanas / Relacion entre el estatus social subjetivo y la salud percibida entre mujeres inmigrantes latinoamericanas

OBJECTIVE: to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and subjective social status and explain how subjective social status predicts health in immigrant women. METHODS: cross-sectional study based on data from 371 Latin American women (16-65 years old) from a total of 7,056 registered immigrants accesse through community parthers between 2009-2010. Socioeconomic status was measured through education, income and occupation; subjective social status was measured using the MacArthur Scale, and perceived health, using a Likert scale. RESULTS: a weak correlation between socioeconomic and subjective social status was found. In the bivariate analysis, a significantly higher prevalence of negative perceived health in women with no education, low income, undocumented employment was observed. In the multivariate analysis, higher odds of prevalence of negative perceptions of health in the lower levels of the MacArthur scale were observed. No significant differences with the rest of the variables were found. CONCLUSIONS: the study suggests that subjective social status was a better predictor of health status than the socioeconomic status measurements. Therefore, the use of this measurement may be relevant to the study of health inequalities, particularly in socially disadvantaged groups such as immigrants. .

OBJETIVO: explorar a relação entre nível socieconômico e status social subjetivo e explicar como o status social subjetivo prediz a saúde em mulheres imigrantes. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal com observações baseadas em 371 mulheres latino-americanas (16-65 anos) de um total de 7.056 registradas, recrutadas por meio de parcerias entre os anos 2009 e 2010. O nível socioeconômico foi mensurado por meio de escolaridade, renda e profissão; o status social subjetivo foi mensurado utilizando-se a Escala MacArthur, e a saúde percebida, usando-se uma escala tipo Likert. RESULTADOS: encontrou-se fraca correlação entre o nível socioeconômico e o status social subjetivo. Na análise bivariada, observou-se prevalência significativamente mais alta de saúde percebida negativamente em mulheres sem escolaridade, baixa renda, desempregadas e com emprego informal. Na análise multivariada, observaram-se maiores chances de prevalência de saúde percebida negativamente, nos níveis mais baixos da escala MacArthur. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nas demais variáveis. CONCLUSÕES: o estudo sugere que o status social subjetivo foi um melhor preditor de status de saúde do que as mensurações de status econômico. Portanto, o uso dessa medida pode ser relevante para o estudo das desigualdades em saúde, particularmente nos grupos em desvantagem social, como os imigrantes. .

OBJETIVO: explorar la relación entre el estatus socioeconómico y el estatus social subjetivo y explicar en qué medida el estatus social subjetivo predice la salud en mujeres inmigrantes. MÉTODOS: estudio transversal. Observaciones basadas en 371 latinoamericanas (16-65 años) de un total de 7.056 empadronadas, captadas a través de asociaciones entre 2009-2010. El estatus socioeconómico se midió a través de educación, ingresos y ocupación; el estatus social subjetivo usando la Escala MacArthur; y la salud percibida mediante una escala de likert. RESULTADOS: se encontró una correlación débil entre el estatus socioeconómico y el social subjetivo. En el análisis bivariante se observó significativamente una prevalencia mayor de salud percibida negativa en las mujeres sin estudios, con ingresos bajos, desempleadas e indocumentadas. En el análisis multivariante, se observaron Odds de prevalencia de salud percibida negativa más elevadas en los niveles de la escala MacArthur más bajos. No se observaron diferencias significativas con el resto de las variables. CONCLUSIONES: el estudio sugiere que el estatus social subjetivo es un predictor mejor del estado de salud que las medidas del estatus socioeconómico. Por tanto, el uso de esta medida puede ser relevante para el estudio de las desigualdades en salud, particularmente en los grupos en desventaja social como los inmigrantes. .

Relationship between subjective social status and perceived health among Latin American immigrant women.

OBJECTIVE: to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and subjective social status and explain how subjective social status predicts health in immigrant women. METHODS: cross-sectional study based on data from 371 Latin American women (16-65 years old) from a total of 7,056 registered immigrants accessed through community partners between 2009-2010. Socioeconomic status was measured through education, income and occupation; subjective social status was measured using the MacArthur Scale, and perceived health, using a Likert scale. RESULTS: a weak correlation between socioeconomic and subjective social status was found. In the bivariate analysis, a significantly higher prevalence of negative perceived health in women with no education, low income, undocumented employment was observed. In the multivariate analysis, higher odds of prevalence of negative perceptions of health in the lower levels of the MacArthur scale were observed. No significant differences with the rest of the variables were found. CONCLUSIONS: the study suggests that subjective social status was a better predictor of health status than the socioeconomic status measurements. Therefore, the use of this measurement may be relevant to the study of health inequalities, particularly in socially disadvantaged groups such as immigrants.

[Informal caretakers in Spain, their profile and care provided]. / Los cuidadores informales en España. Perfil y cuidados prestados.

The authors carried out a systematic search in main data bases and a methodological content review by paired authors about selected publications. The authors reviewed and analyzed 332 articles about informal caretakers and they chose 182 which complied with their selection criteria. The profile for informal caretakers of persons aged over 65 in Spain is identified as well as the type of care he/she provides. It is worth highlighting the introduction of a new factor in caretaking for the elderly during recent years at a national Spanish level, and since the 1990s on an international level: paid non-professional immigrant caretakers. This phenomenon makes the different traits which ethnic minority caretakers have reflect on the dynamics and the results of this study.