@article{c47cbabd51224b3b8b8a318ebd64c974,
title = "Sending-country violence and receiving-country discrimination: Effects on the health of Colombian refugees in Ecuador",
abstract = "This study explored factors affecting the health and well being of recent refugees from Colombia in Ecuador. Data collection focused on how sending-country violence and structural violence in a new environment affect immigrant health vulnerability and risk behaviors. A qualitative approach included ethnographic observation, media content analysis, focus groups, and individual interviews with refugees (N = 137). The focus groups (5) provided perspectives on the research domains by sex workers; drug users; male and female refugees; and service providers. Social and economic marginalization are impacting the health and well being of this growing refugee population. Data illustrate how stigma and discrimination affect food and housing security, employment and health services, and shape vulnerabilities and health risks in a new receiving environment. Widespread discrimination in Ecuador reflects fears, misunderstanding, and stereotypes about Colombian refugees. For this displaced population, the sequelae of violence, combined with survival needs and lack of support and protections, shape new risks to health and well-being.",
keywords = "Discrimination, Health, Refugees, South America, Violence",
author = "Shedlin, {Michele G.} and Decena, {Carlos U.} and Hugo Noboa and {\'O}scar Betancourt",
note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments The research reported in this article was supported by Award Number 5R21DA024706-02 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIDA or the National Institutes of Health. We are also grateful to the US and Ecuadorian organizations and governmental and non-governmental institutions that contributed to the development and implementation of this research. We especially thank Michelle Baez and Sebasti{\'a}n Bet-ancourt of the Fundaci{\'o}n Salud, Ambiente y Desarrollo and Juan Villalobos and Paola Moreno of the ServicioJesuita a Refugiados y Migrantes in Quito for their key roles as in-country co-investigators. We also recognize Ruth {\'A}lvarez and Omar Ocoro for their valuable assistance with the interviews and ethnographic observations. We acknowledge the contributions of Mary Margaret Weigel and Rodrigo Armijos who suggested the importance of this inquiry and participated as co-investigators during the initial stage of research. Special thanks are due to Peter Hartsock, our NIDA Project Officer, who understands not only research, but also the commitment necessary to address inequities and inform change. And to the Colombian study participants who represented their displaced community of people needing international protection, we are sincerely grateful for their generosity in sharing their time and lives with us.",
year = "2014",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1007/s10903-013-9777-9",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "16",
pages = "119--124",
journal = "Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health",
issn = "1557-1912",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "1",
}