Access and Use of Preventive Health Care by Adolescents in Immigrant Families: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: More than 25% of American adolescents live in immigrant families. This cohort of adolescents is a minority group with amplified health challenges. The purpose of this study was to provide an integrative review of quantitative research on the access and use of primary and preventive health care by adolescents in immigrant families.

Method: Searches yielded 460 reports, 54 of them satisfied criteria for full-text review, and four publications met inclusion criteria.

Results: Research, albeit very limited, revealed that adolescents in immigrant families have poor access to and use of preventive health care.

Discussion: Lack of primary health care may prevent identification of health risks in immigrant adolescents and lead them to perceive that preventive health care is unnecessary. Researchers are challenged to develop and test health promotion interventions tailored for these adolescents. Study recruitment outside of high schools, the typical setting, is critical to advance knowledge and improve access for this vulnerable population.

Keywords: health care utilization; immigrant adolescents; integrative review; preventive health care; primary care.