Lifestyle, health & wellbeing of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study

Summary: Lifestyle, health & wellbeing of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study (completed)

Goal: Migrant workers face a number of risks and challenges while abroad for work. It is widely accepted that being a migrant is not a risk factor itself but causes for poor health, wellbeing and lifestyles among migrants include: discrimination, gender inequality, sexual violence and exploitation, dangerous working environments, poor living conditions and lack of access social/health care services. Studies around lifestyles and health problems of Nepali migrants show mixed results. For example, self-reported health status and lifestyle, health seeking behaviour of Nepalese migrants in the UK appears to be good. Similarly, a study in Gulf countries found that one quarter of participants reported injuries or accidents at work within the last 12 months. This study also reported many barriers to seeking health care (e.g. lack of leave). One commonality in migrant studies is that the study population is young. However, their destination countries vary with their education and socio economic status. It is accepted that poor, illiterate, unemployed rural Nepali are more likely migrate to India. Until recently, little research had been conducted into the experience of Nepali migrants in India around their lifestyles, health and wellbeing and working environment. As migration to India is a popular destination for many both Nepali men and women, this study explores health, lifestyles and wellbeing of Nepali migrants in India. This explorative study will address the following research questions:

(a) How do Nepali migrants view their lifestyle-related behaviors (alcohol & smoking behaviors, diet, exercise, socialising) whilst in India?
(b) Where will they seek help around health and illness (e.g. health seeking behaviours and service utilisation, barriers and facilitators for service utilisation, cost for services, how they seek information/services available)?
(c) What are their views and behaviour related to sex and sexual risk taking (e.g. visit sex workers, condom use, and partnership formation)?
(d) What is the social life, living condition (accommodation, toilet facilities, social/family gatherings, relationships with family, discrimination, exclusion from community) and working environment (nature of work, occupational injuries, facilities (e.g. leave, duration of work), nature of work, how they find work) of migrants?
(e) What is the mental health status (anxiety, worry) and overall quality of life of Nepali migrants?

Related publication: Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Mahato, P., Aryal, N., Jadhav, N., Simkhada, P., Zahiruddin, Q.S. and Gaidhane, A., 2019 The health of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study of lifestyles and risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (19)

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