Ethnic minorities’ and immigrants’ therapeutic (non)adherence: What is the role of social and cultural contexts?

Abstract

Immigrants and ethnic minorities have been identified as vulnerable groups in health, in general, andin what concerns therapeutic non-adherence (TA) in particular; i.e., (not)following health-careproviders’ therapeutic recommendations. The general aim of this paper is presenting a literature reviewof immigrants’/ethnic minorities’ TA determinants.We will start by highlighting the reasons as to why immigrants’/ethnic minorities’ therapeutic(non)adherence should be a topic of concern. Then, we will present a review of the main determinantsof immigrants’/ethnic minorities’ TA, at different levels of analysis (e.g., broad structural level; socialand community networks; material and social conditions) and emphasize that non-adherence amongimmigrants/ethnic minorities is mostly non-intentional, seeing as how it is associated with issues suchas: low socio-economic conditions, language barriers and cultural mismatches.Finally, we will highlight the role of health-care providers in tackling this health-related problem andreflect about the importance of promoting development and training of health-care providers’multicultural abilities.