Health and wellbeing of intermarried Filipino women in rural Tasmania

Abstract

Intermarriage has become a social phenomenon for some Filipino women. This is particularly true in Australia, where most Filipino women have arrived on the basis of marriage. They bring with them their cultural values and beliefs which affect the way in which they view their new environment, through their cultural lenses and their views and attitudes may not be understood or accommodated by the mainstream. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the health and wellbeing of Filipino wives who came to Australia as a result of intermarriage and now live in rural parts of Tasmania. The focus was on the following aspects: acculturation problems, health concepts and health care in rural Tasmania, problems in access to health care services, and the social and cultural capital. This study employed mixed methods with a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data analysis revealed that health and wellbeing were the two most important aspects in the life of the intermarried Filipino women in rural Tasmania. The main factors which significantly affect their health and wellbeing in their acculturation into rural Tasmania include: age gap, English language proficiency, highest level of education, and length of stay in Tasmania. The findings of this study also presented insights into the mental and emotional intelligence of the intermarried Filipino women as to how they handled possible culture shock and how they adapted to the mainstream culture throughout their interracial married life.