Heterogeneity within the ethnic minority populations – implications for healthcare planning

REACH Community Health Project is hosting a discussion (supported by CHEX and VHS) on the changes in the demography of the Scottish population and implications for shaping and implementing health policies.  The discussion will offer the opportunity for third sector organisations together with health strategic planners and practitioners the exploration of patterns of health and wellbeing issues of different ethnic groups. It will further seek to increase the understanding of heterogeneity within the ethnic minority population in terms of racial, ethnic and cultural differences, which impacts on:

• the extent to which social, economic and psychological circumstances contribute to differences in health at different stages if the life course within and between ethnic groups
• change and stability as key influences on health such as family life, socio-economic disadvantage and neighbourhood environments and
• the extent to what and why the health of ethnic groups of similar ancestry varies in different country settings

The discussion will be stimulated by Dr Sean Valles, a visiting scholar from Michigan State University, USA who will talk about the use of broad racial and ethnic categories as a source of evidentiary and ethnical problems in public health programmes.

The discussion will be held on 23^rd May, 2.30 – 4.30 p.m. at REACH Community Health Project, 1^st Floor, Network House, 311 Calder Street, Glasgow G42 7NQ.  If you would like participate, please e-mail admin@reachhealth.org.uk with your name, organisation and contact number.  Further information is outlined in the following leaflet – Talk Round Table Discussion – A US experience by Dr Valles (2)