FOCUS
Refugees experience more health problems than people in the general U.S. population. Research to date has focused mainly on individual, familial, and cultural factors in accounting for these disparities. Extending this line of research, Muna draws on life course theory to understand how these factors interact with resettlement policies and related structural factors to impact refugee health outcomes. Specifically, she examines how policies that affect refugee population dispersal, social welfare support, employment, and access to high-quality care systems affect refugee well-being. She is also interested in researching how such policies may further marginalize refugee groups in healthcare systems and their wider communities. By identifying structural factors and policy processes that impact observed disparities in refugee health outcomes, Muna hopes to inform a more socially just response to refugee resettlement in the U.S.
MORE ABOUT MUNA
Most research on refugee health focuses on individual-level characteristics. Muna’s experiences as a refugee have made her aware of how these characteristics interact with systems to create and sustain health inequities. She plans to use community-based participatory research methods to explore how policies and communities affect refugee well-being.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — SUMMER 2024
Health After Resettlement: Multilevel Drivers of Health Status Among Somali Refugees with Chronic Conditions
As the leading cause of death globally, chronic conditions have come under major focus in recent years, with refugees–particularly from Africa–confronting documented disparities in disease burdens and premature deaths. Health policies focused on improving health service utilization (HSU) are often cited as effective interventions for both mitigating complications arising from chronic illnesses and alleviating related health disparities. This cross-sectional dissertation utilizes structured surveys to assess health status and HSU among Somali migrants in the U.S., focusing on policy and community-level factors to explore how these factors shape refugee health outcomes.
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