A Review of Health Beliefs and Their Influence on Asylum Seekers and Refugees’ Health-Seeking Behavior

This article reviews health beliefs, and attitudes of asylum seekers and refugees, using an adapted framework of the Health Belief Model. The systematic review included 15 peer-reviewed records retrieved from CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, and PsycArticles. Findings of this review show culture, tradition, fate or destiny, psychological factors, family, friends, and community were crucial influential factors in shaping asylum seekers, and refugees’ perceived barriers, fear, severity, and susceptibility in their health-seeking activities. In addition, knowledge and awareness related to the benefits of using modern healthcare services were motivators for different ethnic groups to take care of their personal health. Healthcare providers, educational programs, and support from family, friends, and community had noteworthy influence on triggering the health-related decision-making process among asylum seekers and refugees. This study offers practical implications for healthcare providers and public health community to devise culturally relevant strategies that will effectively target asylum seekers and refugees with diverse cultural, traditional and attitudinal beliefs about healthcare and health seeking activities. This is one of the descriptive review studies on asylum seekers and refugees’ health beliefs and their health-seeking behavior based on ethnicity grounds.